First daughter Ivanka Trump blasted Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore on Wednesday in the wake of accusations of sexual misconduct.
“There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” Trump told The Associated Press.
“I’ve yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims’ accounts,” she continued, though she stopped short of calling for more to drop out of the special election to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
{mosads}Trump’s comments come nearly a week after The Washington Post reported that a woman said Moore had initiated a sexual encounter with her in 1979, when she was 14 years old and he was 32. The report included three other women who said Moore pursued relationships with them when they were teenagers.
And on Monday, a woman came forward to accuse Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.
GOP support for Moore has since withered.
Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), have stepped up pressure on Moore to drop his bid.
However, unlike his daughter, President Trump has largely declined to address the allegations against Moore.
Trump did not answer reporters’ questions on the matter after a TV address on Wednesday, and he said Saturday while still on his multination Asian trip that he has not “been able to devote very much time to it.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday that the president hadn’t passed any judgement against Moore amid the allegations, but added that the former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice should step aside if the accusations are true.
Moore himself has shown no sign that he is willing to relinquish his candidacy and has instead railed against the media.
“Why do you think they’re giving me trouble? Why do you think I’m being harassed by media, and by people pushing forward allegations in the last 28 days in this election,” Moore said on Tuesday.
“I’m the only one who could unite Democrats and Republicans,” he added, drawing laughs from the crowd. “Because I seem to be opposed by both. They’ve spent over $30 million trying to take me out.”