Trump frustrated with Ivanka’s condemnation of Roy Moore: report

President Trump privately expressed frustration about his daughter Ivanka’s jab at GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore when she said there is “a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” according to a new report.

The New York Times reported Saturday that the president voiced disbelief at his daughter’s remark, which came after numerous women alleged that Moore pursued sexual and romantic relations with them when they were teenagers and he was in his early 30s.

“Do you believe this?” Trump asked several aides in the Oval Office, according to the Times.

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Trump himself has stood by Moore following the allegations. In his first extensive remarks on the matter this week, Trump emphasized that the Alabama Republican had denied the women’s claims and asserted that he did not want a Democrat to win the Senate race.

The president’s comments on the allegations were touted by Moore’s campaign as “strong words of support.” The campaign has sought to cast the allegations as false and politically motivated.

Moore has denied most of the allegations, and has so far resisted calls from dozens of GOP lawmakers and officials to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race.

Still, the allegations have given a boost to his Democratic opponent Doug Jones, who has risen in the polls in recent weeks, turning a race once seen as safe for the GOP into a competitive showdown.

Ivanka Trump’s comments about Moore were quickly turned into a campaign ad for Jones, who has slammed his opponent over the allegations.