White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Monday morning stopped short of explicitly encouraging voters to back GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, but hinted that a Moore win would help President Donald Trump’s tax cut plans.
During an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” Conway touted Trump’s plans to cut taxes and bashed Democrats’ opposition to the Republican plan before emphasizing that the tax plan would likely be endangered if Doug Jones, the Democratic candidate, wins a Senate seat.
“Doug Jones in Alabama, folks, don’t be fooled. He’ll be a vote against tax cuts. He’s weak on crime, weak on borders. He’s strong on raising your taxes. He’s terrible for property owners. And Doug Jones is a doctrinaire liberal which is why he’s not saying anything and the media are trying to boost him,” Conway said.
Fox co-host Brian Kilmeade then asked, “So vote Roy Moore?”
“I’m telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through,” Kellyanne replied.
She said that if the media were really concerned about the allegations that Moore made inappropriate sexual advances on teenage girls, then Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) “would be on the ash heap of bygone, half-funny comedians.”
“He still has his job,” she said, referring to Franken, who has been accused of sexual misconduct. “What’s Bob Menendez doing back here? That’s the best my state of New Jersey can do?”
The hosts of “Fox and Friends” then noted to Conway that several Republican leaders have pulled their support from Moore.
“I just want everybody to know Doug Jones, nobody ever says his name and they pretend he is some kind of conservative Democrat in Alabama. And he’s not,” Conway said in response.
Asked if Trump would campaign for Moore, Conway said he has no plans to do so.
As allegations of sexual misconduct pile up against Moore, the White House has refrained from completely pulling its support from the Republican Senate candidate. Trump has yet to publicly weigh in on the allegations, even though he quickly slammed Franken when the senator was accused of sexual misconduct. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday declined to say whether the President believes Moore’s accusers and said that it’s up to voters in Alabama to decide whether Moore is fit for office.
