White House aides walk tightrope

White House aides continued to walk a tightrope Sunday when it comes to Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, highlighting their concerns about sexual misconduct allegations against him but stopping short of joining fellow Republicans who have called for Moore to withdraw from the race.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said he believes the nine women who have come forward to accuse Moore of inappropriate conduct or assault are “credible,” but he stopped short of condemning Moore.

“The allegations are very serious, and they should be taken very seriously,” Mulvaney said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But ultimately these are up to the voters in the state.”

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said President Donald Trump also thinks the accusers are credible.

“If he did not believe that the women’s accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore. He has not done that,” Short said on ABC’s “This Week.” “He has concerns about the accusations, but he is also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old. Roy Moore has been in public service for decades, and the accusations did not arise until a month before election.”

Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have called for Moore to drop out of the race, but Trump has not. The president, however, has seized on allegations last week that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., inappropriately kissed and groped a Los Angeles radio host.