December 4, 2017

Trump Officially Backs Roy Moore Despite Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

The president makes his endorsement crystal clear.

Shawn Thew/ZUMA

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In his clearest statement of support yet, President Donald Trump on Monday unequivocally endorsed Roy Moore, the Republican Senate candidate engulfed by sexual misconduct allegations, claiming it was vital for the former judge to win next week’s special election in Alabama. 

Trump had previously implied that he supported Moore despite a series of explosive allegations first reported by the Washington Post last month. While stopping short of a full-throated endorsement, the president had then portrayed Moore as the more favorable option in the race when compared to his Democratic challenger Doug Jones. 

“I can tell you one thing for sure: We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat,” Trump told reporters last month, referring to Jones, who is a former federal prosecutor. “I’ve looked at his record. It’s terrible in crime, it’s terrible in the border, it’s terrible in the military.”

In the same impromptu November press conference, Trump also seemed to question why it took so long for the women to come forward with their accusations against Moore. “Forty years is a long time,” he said. “He’s run eight races, and this has never came up.”

Trump’s endorsement comes one day after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell softened his stance on Moore, saying it was up to Alabama voters to “make the call.” He previously urged Moore to step aside in the race.

Moore’s wife later said on Facebook that Trump followed up on his tweets with a personal phone call to express his support. White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah confirmed the conversation, describing it as a “positive call.” 

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

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And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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