Moore Spox Dodges Questions On Past Hostile Remarks: ‘He Believes The Bible’

Roy Moore spox Janet Porter on CNN Dec. 6, 2017
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In a fiery interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday night, Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore’s spokesperson consistently gave non-answers to questions about the candidate’s current stance on a variety of controversial statements he’s made in the past.

A self-proclaimed staunch evangelical Christian, Moore, in recent years, has equated homosexuality to “beastiality.” When asked whether he still holds that position, spokeswoman Janet Porter said she “can’t answer that question.”

“I can tell you what he does believe regarding that issue— regarding that issue, if you want to talk about making sure we don’t have sexual predators, —” but Cooper cut her off.

“No, I’m not talking about sexual predators. I’m talking about anybody that’s homosexual, gay, lesbian people,” Cooper said.

“Let me just say, [Doug Jones] wants to put out a welcome mat in front of these young girls, if you are a junior high school girl or if you are a high school girl, what abortion Jones is saying is we’re putting out a welcome mat to any boy who’s feeling like a girl that day, he’s free to walk into the bathroom, the locker room with his camera phone and shower with your daughter,” she said, possibly referencing Moore’s opponent, Doug Jones’ stance on transgender individuals being allowed to use the bathroom that makes them most comfortable.

Moving on, Cooper asked her whether Moore still believes that homosexuality should be illegal and if the terror attack on the World Trade Center on 9-11 happened because “we distanced ourselves from God.” Porter gave similar non-answers, claiming that Jones isn’t a very good Christian and saying that Moore “believes the Bible.”

“Does he still believe an American citizen who’s a Muslim should not be able to serve in Congress?” Cooper asked, referencing comments Moore has made in the past criticizing Rep. Keith Ellison, who is a Muslim, about being sworn into Congress with the Quran.

“I think that what he’s getting at there is that we believe in the rule of law by the Constitution, not Sharia law. I think that’s really the bottom line and what we’re looking at,” she said. “It’s a message — I believe his position has to do with whether we follow the Constitution or the ridiculously oppressive to women Sharia law.”

In an interview with Vox in August, Moore claimed there were whole communities in the Midwest that operate “under Sharia law.” Porter said she’s not sure if there actually are “any in America, but there’s a movement toward that.”

The only definitive answer Porter gave throughout the interview was in response to a question about whether Moore still believes former President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S.

“That is his position,” she said, before criticizing Cooper for “ridiculing Biblical beliefs,” claiming that the judges who ruled against Moore serving on the state Supreme Court were “activists” and saying it’s “no news flash” that Moore thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman.    

“He has stood for the Constitution, and that’s really what it’s all about. It comes down to who do you want to represent the people of Alabama,” she said.

Despite the highly controversial statements Moore has made in the past and the allegations of sexual misconduct toward teens piling up against, Moore and Jones are neck-and-neck in the polls and Moore has earned the full endorsement of the President ahead of Tuesday’s special election.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: