Does Trump Support Roy Moore? White House Official Ducks The Question 15 Times.

Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, won't say whether Trump believes the women accusing Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, won't say whether Trump believes the women accusing Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

WASHINGTON ― A top White House official on Sunday avoided answering the question ― 15 times ― as to whether President Donald Trump supports Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by seven women.

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that Trump thinks it would be “disqualifying” for Moore if the allegations that he routinely sought sexual relationships with teenage girls are true. But he repeatedly ducked questions about whether Trump thinks the women’s accusations are credible.

“Does the president believe them?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“We are uncomfortable with the explanations Roy Moore has given to date,” Short said. “At this point, we think, though, it’s best for the people of Alabama that all the information is in front of them for them to make the decision.”

“But I’m asking you a direct question on behalf of the president,” Stephanopoulos tried again. “You work for the president. Does the president believe the women or not?”

“He has concerns about the accusations, but he is also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old,” Short said. “Roy Moore has been in public service for decades, and the accusations did not arise until a month before the election.”

“So you’re not willing to make a yes or no judgment on whether the president believes the women?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“I think I have answered your questions three times now,” Short said.

“No, you have said you have questions and concerns,” Stephanopoulos replied.

This back-and-forth exchange played out a total of 15 times as Stephanopoulos tried to get Short to clarify whether Trump is backing Moore ahead of his Dec. 12 special election against Democrat Doug Jones. At one point, Short said Trump would be campaigning for Moore if he didn’t believe the women. But soon after that he said nobody really knows who is telling the truth.

“If dating a 14-year-old ― and you have used the word pedophilia in the past ― is disqualifying, it comes down to a matter of whether or not you believe the women who made that allegation,” Stephanopoulos said.

“Sitting here 40 years after the fact, I cannot have any more information to tell you one way or the other,” Short replied. “There are two people who know that: Roy Moore and the accuser.”

The White House’s vagueness on whether Trump believes Moore’s accusers puts the president at odds with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who have said they believe the women.

Part of the reason it’s tricky for White House officials to talk about the allegations against Moore is because 16 women have accused Trump of sexual assault. The White House’s official position is that they are all lying.

Also on HuffPost

Gretchen Carlson

<strong>Her account: </strong>In a lawsuit <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gretchen-carlson-harassment-lawsuit_us_577d22c1e4b09b4c43c1c624">filed in July 2016</a>, Carlson accused Ailes of sexual harassment and sexism. When Carlson attempted to address the discriminatory treatment in September 2015, Ailes allegedly told her:&nbsp;&ldquo;I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you&rsquo;d be good and better and I&rsquo;d be good and better." Carlson&nbsp;claimed that Ailes fired her in June 2016 for rebuffing his sexual advances and challenging a sexist newsroom culture.&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Ailes' response:</strong>&nbsp;The same day Carlson filed her lawsuit, Ailes released the below statement:&nbsp;<br /><br />"Gretchen Carlson&rsquo;s allegations are false. This is a retaliatory suit for the network&rsquo;s decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup. When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit.&nbsp;Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11 year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously.&rdquo;&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>When we found out:&nbsp;</strong>July 6, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened:&nbsp;</strong>2005 - 2016

Marsha Callahan

<strong>Her account</strong>: When Callahan (left) was starting out as an aspiring model in the 1960s, Ailes <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/six-more-women-allege-ailes-sexual-harassment.html">allegedly told</a> her that he could advance her career if she slept with him, <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/six-more-women-allege-ailes-sexual-harassment.html" target="_blank">New York Magazine reported</a> on July 9, 2016. During this time, Ailes was a producer on "The Mike Douglas Show&rdquo; and allegedly asked Callahan to wear a garter belt and stockings and lift up her skirt for him.<br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response</strong>: Although Ailes did not publicly comment on Boyle&rsquo;s accusation, his lawyer Barry Asen released a&nbsp;statement. Asen blamed Carlson's initial accusations for these new allegations: &ldquo;It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are false.&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>When we found out: </strong>July 9, 2016<br /><strong><br />When she says it happened:&nbsp;</strong>1967 or 1968

Megyn Kelly

<strong>Her account: </strong>Directly after Carlson&rsquo;s accusations came to light, <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/14/fox-colleagues-mad-that-megyn-kelly-isn-t-speaking-up-for-roger-ailes">Kelly allegedly told 21st Century Fox</a> investigators that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances when she was just starting out as a correspondent for Fox 10 years prior. In her recent memoir, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/megyn-kelly-roger-ailes-harassment_us_581b4fa2e4b08f9841adb05e">Kelly wrote</a> that Ailes made inappropriate advances, commenting on her &ldquo;very sexy bras&rdquo; and &ldquo;how he&rsquo;d like to see [her] in them.&rdquo; He also tried to grab and kiss her, and later threatened to fire her if she did not comply. <br /><br /><strong>Ailes' response: </strong>&ldquo;I categorically deny the allegations Megyn Kelly makes about me. I worked tirelessly to promote and advance her career, as Megyn herself admitted to Charlie Rose. Watch that interview and then decide for yourself,&rdquo; Ailes said in a <a href="http://people.com/tv/roger-ailes-denies-megyn-kelly-sexual-harassment-allegations-statement/">statement to People Magazine</a> on November 15, 2016. &ldquo;My attorneys have restricted me from commenting further -- so suffice it to say that no good deed goes unpunished.&rdquo;<br /><br /><strong>When we found out: </strong>Initial accusations on July 19, 2016; details from her book on November 3, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened: </strong>2005 - 2006

Rudi Bakhtiar

<strong>Her account</strong>: The former Fox News correspondent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/business/at-fox-news-kisses-innuendo-propositions-and-fears-of-reprisal.html">told The New York Times</a> she was fired for complaining about sexual harassment from then-Fox News Washington bureau chief Brian Wilson. Similar to other accusations, Bakhtiar said Ailes also behaved inappropriately, asking her to stand during a job interview so he could see her legs and sending her miniskirts to wear at work. <br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response</strong>: None from Ailes, Fox News or parent company 21st Century Fox. <br /><br /><strong>When we found out: </strong>July 23, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened: </strong>2007

Laurie Luhn

<strong>Her account:</strong> Luhn, the former director of booking at Fox News, said that Ailes sexually harassed and blackmailed her into performing sexual acts for more than 20 years. &ldquo;It was psychological torture,&rdquo; she told<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/fmr-fox-booker-harassed-by-ailes-for-20-years.html">&nbsp;New York Magazine</a>&nbsp;on July 29, 2016. Luhn was among the few women who said she had given in to Ailes' demands, knowing he could help her career.<br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response: </strong>&ldquo;Ms. Luhn is someone I once regarded as a friend and a person who I helped for many years,&rdquo; Ailes wrote in a statement to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/laurie-luhn-roger-ailes-sexually-harassed-20-years/story?id=43619335">ABC News</a> in November 18, 2016. &ldquo;The stories she is telling now are fabrications built on half-truths and outright lies, and I can only assume are opportunistically intended to thrust her back into the limelight at my expense.&rdquo;<br /><strong><br />When we found out:&nbsp;</strong>July 29, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened:</strong> 1996 - 2016

Laurie Dhue

<strong>Her account:</strong> Dhue, who worked as a Fox News anchor from 2000 to 2008, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fox-news-boss-roger-ailes-asked-laurie-dhue-wore-underwear-article-1.2735950">said</a> that Ailes asked if she was wearing underwear while she was jumping with his then 6-year-old son at a barbecue in New Jersey. &ldquo;Are you wearing any panties? I wish you weren&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Ailes <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/can-the-murdochs-contain-the-ailes-damage.html">allegedly asked</a> Dhue. &nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response</strong>: No public response.<br /><strong><br />When we found out:&nbsp;</strong>August 2, 2016<br /><strong><br />When she says it happened:&nbsp;</strong>Sometime during her tenure at Fox News between 2000 and 2008.

Andrea Tantaros

<strong>Her account:</strong> In a lawsuit <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/andrea-tantaros-fox-news-lawsuit_us_57bc6919e4b0b51733a5d614">filed August 2016</a>, former Fox News host Tantaros claimed that Ailes is a &ldquo;sexual predator&rdquo; who made inappropriate sexual comments about her body and requested she hug him and twirl for him in his office. In the lawsuit, Tantaros named other Fox News male colleagues who sexually harassed her, including Bill O&rsquo;Reilly. She called Fox News a &ldquo;sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency and misogyny.&rdquo; After Tantaros complained about Ailes and Fox News&rsquo; misogynistic culture, she said she was demoted and taken off the air. <br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response</strong>: While Ailes did not publicly comment on the accusations, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fox-news-tantaros-ailes_us_57c4bf6ee4b0cdfc5ac8ec8d">Fox News&rsquo; lawyers</a> called Tantaros an &ldquo;opportunist&rdquo; and said her lawsuit &ldquo;bears all the hallmarks of the &lsquo;wannabe.&rsquo;&rdquo; <br /><strong><br />When we found out:&nbsp;</strong>August 8, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened: </strong>2014 - 2016

Shelley Ross

<strong>Her account: </strong>In an essay for <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/08/roger-ailes-sexually-harassed-me-i-thought-i-was-the-first-and-last" target="_blank">The Daily Beast i</a>n August 2016, Ross details the sexual harassment she experienced on &ldquo;The Tomorrow Show&rdquo; from Roger Ailes. Ross wrote that Ailes proposed a &ldquo;sexual alliance&rdquo; while she worked on the show. <br /><br /><strong>Ailes&rsquo; response</strong>: None.<br /><br /><strong>When we found out: </strong>August 8, 2016<br /><br /><strong>When she says it happened: </strong>1981

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.