President Trump has enthusiastically endorsed Roy Moore for Alabama state senator. This is a controversial move because Roy Moore has been accused of inappropriate sexual relations with teenage girls when back he was a prosecutor. He was accused of sexually assaulting one teenager and molesting another. Moore has denied this and has refused to step out of the race.
Trump has given his support to Moore by posting on Twitter Monday morning. He said “we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more.” He followed that with “Putting Pelosi/Schumer Liberal Puppet Jones into office in Alabama would hurt our great Republican Agenda of low on taxes, tough on crime, strong on military and borders...& so much more.” He also might help with Moore’s campaign when he visits a rally in Pensacola, Florida on Friday which will be covered by the Alabama media.
It is clear that President Trump needs Moore’s vote because it would benefit his political agenda. In my opinion, however, backing someone who has been accused of such inappropriate sexual relations indirectly puts the president’s stamp of approval on such actions. Mitch McConnell said that he was just going to let the people of Alabama decide, which I think would have been a better response from the president.
What do you think? Do you agree with President Trump’s endorsement? If you were in the president's position would you have given your endorsement to someone with these accusations because it would help get the votes you need?
21 comments:
I agree with Brooke that Trump did inadvertently approve of inappropriate sexual relations by endorsing Moore. So, I do not agree with President Trump’s endorsement. If I were in Trump’s position, I would have just stayed out of it because of all the controversy surrounding Moore’s campaign and Moore’s past. This would show the American public that the president has much more serious issues to worry about, such as the current federal government and its laws, rather than a campaign. Even though Moore is from the same political party as Trump, Trump easily could have just did what Mitch McConnell did by just letting it play out like it would. No matter what, the president of the country should not support someone who may or may not have had inappropriate relations with a teenage girl in order to stay a respected individual.
I disagree with the idea that Trump inadvertently showed approval for this type of appalling behavior... I would say that by this endorsement Trump clearly and openly sent a message that he believes it is completely acceptable to sexually harass teenagers. And it's not like he hasn't shown his approval for similar behavior- remember the Access Hollywood tape? We expect, and teach, teenagers that this type of behavior is unacceptable, how is it possible that we hold the President of The United States to a lower standard than we hold children to?
Yes, Trump is doing the right thing for his party by endorsing Moore, but because Roy Moore is accused of sexual assault, I don't think he is the right candidate for the spot. However, President Trump was also accused of sexual assault from countless women and ultimately became president, so in the end, I don't think it will dramatically change anything. I agree with Bela that Mitch McConnell did the right thing and it all comes down to what they decide to do with Roy Moore.
I disagree with this statement: "backing someone who has been accused of such inappropriate sexual relations indirectly puts the president’s stamp of approval on such actions." First of all, are these accusations true? There's no doubt that someone who committed such an act wouldn't get elected, but I'd hate to see someone's career ruined just because they were falsely accused of sexual assault. I'm not saying that it isn't true, but instead, that we should find out for sure before criticizing Trump for endorsing this candidate.
That is an interesting point to consider, though. More generally, does endorsing a candidate put a "stamp of approval" on all of his or her prior actions? Or should we support candidates solely based on how well they will serve their role in office? I'm not too sure of the answer, but I am leaning towards the latter. What do you guys think?
I disagree with Trump's decision to endorse Roy Moore, and I don't find it surprising either. Not only is this decision in line with his party's political goals, but Trump himself has been accused of sexual assault, and has said some inappropriate things about women himself on tape. I'm sure Trump wouldn't say he approves of Roy's sexual assault/misconduct, and when asked Trump repeated that they were only allegations. If Trump were to accept these claims as true, he wouldn't be able to endorse Roy Moore. Whether or not he really thinks Roy Moore is guilty of these accusations doesn't matter; he simply needs an excuse to endorse him. As president, I would hope that my mental condition and morals are still somewhat intact so that I can say no to electing someone who is likely guilty of sexual misconduct. The evidence surely doesn't stand in his favor.
I understand why Trump wants to support Roy Moore, since it would benefit his political agenda. However, I do not think he should endorse and support him regardless of how aligned their political views are; since Roy Moore has been accused of sexual assault, I don't believe he is fit for this position. Additionally though, I agree with the above comments in how Trump himself has been accused of sexual assault and nothing really happened, so nothing will dramatically change here.
It makes sense why Trump would endorse him, I just wouldn't if I were in his position. Yes they have very similar agendas but the accusation alone tell you something about the person and it isnt good. These allegations should have taken him out of the running but as we have seen with Trump, its not as bad of accusation as we used to think. Trump probably doesn't think these accusation are true so he has no problem supporting Roy Moore.
Contrary to Avichal's opinion, I feel as though the phrase, "backing someone who has been accused of such inappropriate sexual relations indirectly puts the president’s stamp of approval on such actions" is actually incredibly valid. It is right to say the no one, including Trump, may know whether the allegations are accurate, but the mere idea of a man having been accused of sexual assault should be enough to prevent that person from being endorsed by the president of the United States. According to Stanford.edu, "Only about 2% of all rape and related sex charges are determined to be false, the same percentage as for other felonies." If the allegations are true, as they most likely are, then Trump endorsed a rapist. That does put his stamp of approval on someone who has committed crimes to that extent.
Of course, Iman is right as well. Trump has been accused of so many different sexual assault situations, and not much has been followed up on this. Unfortunately, because of the situation of the Republican party, as we learned about in class, has reached the point where being R means you'll win all the support of Republicans simply because they want to beat the Democrats. I hope this isn't the case in this election.
While I do not agree with President Trump's endorsement, I am not surprised by it. Also, I do not necessarily believe that Trump has given a "stamp of approval" to "inappropriate sexual relations." Those are loaded words and my perspective on his actions is not as firm as those previously mentioned. Like others have pointed out, Trump himself has been accused of the same -- and yet nothing has happened. I'm not sure if endorsing a candidate means that Trump is also endorsing sexual assault, but I do think that his actions altogether illustrate that he doesn't care about accusations of sexual assault, or at least, that they are less important than the fact that “we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more.”
I don't think politicians should be putting their agendas before ethics. Issues such as the ones named by Trump have been issues for decades (and many have been solved through ways other than government action), and there is no sense of urgency that requires the honor of our officials to be put aside for political purposes. I would not endorse Roy Moore, and I would settle for a weaker party than for an ethically questionable legislator.
Honestly, I don't get why Trump would support him, especially since Moore is already going to win anyways because Alabama is a Republican stronghold. To counter some people's claims, these are just accusations. Moore hasn't been charged with anything nor has he been convicted, so stop acting like he has committed the acts or he is guilty because we don't know if he is or not. Trump probably should have done what Mitch McConnell did, as it would have been the safer option politically.
I believe it is ridiculous to claim that Trump is indirectly supporting sexual harassment by his support for Roy Moore. Moore has only been accused of the crime, and has not been found guilty for anything. By that logic, supporting an accused rapist, who turns out to be innocent, is an instance of indirect support for rape. It just doesn't make sense.
I am indifferent about Trump's endorsement of Moore considering I do not have very much background knowledge about him. Judging by his opinions that were presented, I do believe that it makes sense because it fits Trump's agenda. It is standard for him to support the candidates he agrees with.
If I were in Trump's position, I would give my endorsements to someone accused of these crimes if I truly believed they were innocent. Accusations are simply accusations, and should not be taken as the truth. Unless the accused is proven guilty, it is unfair to assume they committed the crime.
To respond to Nico's comment, I agree that Trump isn't specifically supporting sexual harassment, but he is supporting an alleged pedophile and sexual harasser. It is very troubling to me that the Trump and the republican party have continued to support Roy Moore after these serious allegations, simply because they want a Republican in that seat. I think it's similar to the article we read in class, "It's Worse than It Looks," in which the authors talk about the reasons why our government is so polarized partly due to the Republican party's staunch position and their unwillingness to agree with or compromise with democrats. They want more Congressional power, and because of that, they're overlooking very troubling and horrible allegations that, in any other case, would put this man under investigation or even into prison. If I were in Trump's position, I would 'take the loss,' telling the press that we do not support this kind of troubling and wrong behavior in our government, or anywhere else, and that Roy Moore should step down and not run for re-election. What I don't understand is why the Republican party wouldn't just endorse another Republican candidate in that district other than Roy Moore. They'd still probably win the district.
I think it is clear that Trump is supporting Moore in order to have another Republican vote in Congress, but in doing that, he is supporting an alleged rapist. I think that Trump is being ignorant because he is only supporting Moore to further his agenda, instead of doing what is right. Trump is ignoring the accusations which is insulting to those who have been assaulted. He is basically okaying these actions, which is disgraceful because he is the President and should not support a man who is accused of sexual assault, even if he hasn't been proven guilty yet.
While Trump is trying to maintain control in the Senate by endorsing Roy Moore, he is also indirectly saying that sexual assault and violence against minors is acceptable and that this type of behavior is tolerable in the government, which looks very bad to the public. Trump should denounce Roy Moore for his actions and endorse another Republican candidate instead to get the votes and secure the seat.
Although Trump is not directly supporting sexual harassment, he is choosing to ignore it which is troubling. By endorsing Roy Moore, Trump is basically revealing that the government turns a blind eye to sexual harassment and other misconduct. Sexual harassment is a serious crime and, guilty or not, Moore will carry this allegation with him which just paints an ugly picture of our government. If I were in Trump's position, I would not endorse Moore and explain that I will not support someone with such allegations. Maybe that would help the public move on from Trump's allegations regarding sexual harassment as well.
It's not proven that Moore was involved in these incidents so it's not fair to jump to conclusions. However, the scandals should be enough for Trump to steer clear of such powerful support. The way he endorses him is also troubling because he decides to tear down the democratic leaders at the same time. I agree with what Max said above with politicians not putting agendas in front of ethics.
I would like to point out since this post was written Trump has come out and officially helped Roy Moore campaign. I don't think any person- democrat or republican- should hold high office. Especially now, with so many allegations coming out, people being called to resign or resigning from office, and "the silence breakers" being recognized as Time's people of the year, I don't think Roy Moore should be running, and I certainly don't think the President of the United States should be endorsing him. Despite all the recent progress has been made to bring to light these horrible, but unfortunately common crimes, the fact that Moore is still a candidate for the Alabama's seat shows how much more work has to be done.
I do not think it was a good idea for Trump to support Moore. Through Trump's sexual comments against women and the backlash he received for it, I think it further demoralizes his image. I do not think he should support someone who has been accused of sexual assault against women, especially with things he has said in the past. It gets the message across that he supports sexual harassment and it is completely unacceptable.
I do not approve of Trump's support of Moore. The combination of Trump's sexual comments that were revealed during the presidential race further hurts his reputation as president. You would think that after that, a person would try to make up for that, but supporting Moore does the opposite of that. If I was in Trump's situation I would not have supported Moore.
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