Trump drops all pretenses, says we "need" an accused child molester in the Senate

Donald Trump once treaded lightly on the subject of Roy Moore. Immediately after the Alabama Senate candidate was accused of stalking and molesting teenage girls, he and his advisers hedged on whether to supported Moore or believe the allegations against him.

Those days are over, however, as Trump made clear on Twitter Monday morning:

It is nothing new for Trump to attack Democratic candidate and civil rights hero Doug Jones — he has repeatedly called Jones “weak on crime” despite the fact that his signature career achievement was locking up Klansmen for murder.

But in saying that “we need” Moore to pass the Republican agenda, he is taking it a step further and giving a full-throated defense of Moore on his own terms — his clearest endorsement since the allegations surfaced.

Moore, for his part, touted it as a clear, official signal of support:

https://twitter.com/mooresenate/status/937664650640060416

Trump’s tweet follows several recent moves from his inner circle to align with Moore, despite Trump’s claim he would not campaign for Moore in the state and several Trump advisers insisting that Trump believed the election should be left up to Alabama voters.

Last week, the White House confirmed that four days before the special election, Trump will hold a rally in Pensacola, Florida, 20 miles from the Alabama state line and within Southern Alabama media markets.

Additionally, Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara was caught sending out robocalls to Alabama voters in support of Moore.

The Trump family isn’t alone. Several Republicans are warming up to the idea of Sen. Roy Moore. While Senate Republicans previously toyed with the idea of blocking his candidacy or expelling him, Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins have now both indicated they will accept him as a colleague.

There is no longer any moral depravity a Republican can commit that will cost the support of Trump and the national party. If the GOP treats politics as a team sport rather than a test of qualifications and moral character, it is incapable of real leadership.