Day 306: Trump Stands With Moore
As a 30-something district attorney, rather than going out for a drink with colleagues or finding a hobby, Roy Moore would cruise local malls and high school football games looking for teenage girls to date. Moore has faced allegations from more than a half dozen women that claimed he asked them out and/or engaged in sexual contact with them despite their being in high school at the time.
One woman claimed she was just 14 years old when Moore — more than twice her age — picked her up from her mother’s home and brought her back to his house where the two engaged in sexual conduct on at least two occasions. Another woman claimed that, despite being underage, Moore provided her with alcohol when the two were together. One of the most recent woman to make an allegation against Moore produced her high school yearbook which showed it had been signed by Moore wherein he called he beautiful.
Moore’s response to the allegations has been a peculiar denial that he never dated a girl without her mother’s permission and he generally doesn’t recall dating girls as young as his accusers are claiming they were. (Moore eventually married his wife, Kayla, when he was 38 and she was 24, though in his book Moore admitted that Kayla caught his eye “many years before.”)
While most sane people have spoken out against Moore’s behavior, including many Republicans, some have tried to explain or justify Moore’s actions. Others have proclaimed that the accusers are Democrats fabricating the stories for political gain despite multiple accusers acknowledging that they were Trump voters.
Some, rather than speaking out, have chosen to say nothing and run away from discussing the matter. (In the case of Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), he took took the running away part quite literally.)
One of those engaging in strategic, cowardly silence? Donald J. Trump.
As the Daily Beast reported, Trump’s ear is being bent over his mouth by Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon:
Multiple sources in and out of the West Wing say that some of Trump’s closest advisers have recommended that he not criticize Moore publicly prior to the election in November. Among those privately encouraging him to stay mum have been Kellyanne Conway, the president’s counselor and former campaign manager, and Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist and current Breitbart chairman.
According to two sources — one a White House official and the other a Republican source close to both the White House and Bannon — Bannon has spoken multiple times on the phone to President Trump since late last week. At least one of those calls was devoted to discouraging the president from rejecting or criticizing Moore in public statements.
Trump is so concerned about a Democrat being elected that he’s tacitly approving Moore’s conduct. In cases like this, the failure to vociferously speak out against reprehensible behavior is just as bad as outwardly defending it. Trump was quick to denounce Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) for his inappropriate behavior but hasn’t said two words about Moore.
One of Trump’s mouthpieces, adviser Kellyanne Conway, who last week said no Senate seat was worth supporting pedophilia over, didn’t bother masking her reasons for flip-flopping in suddenly excusing Moore’s behavior: politics.
The White House wants to play both sides of this fiasco: remain silent in an effort to rebuke Moore should he lose, but fail to openly disparage Moore just in case he wins.
However, in instances like this, one doesn’t get to play both sides now and attempt to rewrite history later: silence is acceptance.
Trump stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Roy Moore.
306 days in, 1156 to go
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