White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said of President Donald Trump: “He has concerns about the accusations." White House: Trump would campaign for Moore if he didn't believe accusers

The White House on Sunday refused to say where President Donald Trump stands on beleaguered Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, though legislative affairs director Marc Short suggested the president’s actions speak much louder than his words.

Many Republican lawmakers have called on Moore to step aside following allegations that he pursued romantic relationships with teenagers as a man in his 30s, including alleged sexual contact with a 14-year-old at age 32. Moore has denied the allegations, and the White House has been largely silent on the issue.


Trump released a statement through White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during his travel through Asia but notably hasn’t tweeted about Moore, a candidate he once pledged to campaign for if he defeated appointed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in the special election’s GOP primary, which he did.

Short told ABC’s “This Week” that while “we are uncomfortable with the explanations that Roy Moore has given to date,” the issue is up to Alabama voters.

“We have serious concerns about the allegations that have been made, but we also believe that all of this information is out there for the people of Alabama,” Short said. “Roy Moore has been a public servant for decades in Alabama. He has run multiple times. The people of Alabama know best what to do and the right decision to make here.”

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Short repeatedly declined to answer “yes or no” when asked whether the president believes Moore’s accusers. He argued, however: “If he did not believe that the women’s accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore.”

“He has not done that,” Short noted. “He has concerns about the accusations. But he’s also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old. Roy Moore has been in public service for decades, and the accusations did not arise until a month before election. So we are concerned about several aspects of the story.”

Trump, Short added, has not campaigned for Moore, endorsed him or issued robocalls.

“You should certainly be able to infer by the fact that he has not gone down to support Roy Moore his discomfort in doing so,” he said.