President Donald Trump is displaying selective outrage over allegations of sexual harassment against prominent men in politics, as his own tortured past lingers over his response. Mr Trump moved quickly on Friday to condemn accusations against Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken as “really bad,” but he has remained conspicuously silent on the more serious claims leveled against Roy Moore, the Republican in Alabama’s special Senate race who faces allegations of sexually assaulting teenage girls decades ago.
Mr Trump has repeatedly declined to follow Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan in calling on Moore to quit the race. Both had said they believe Moore’s accusers. With the nation confronting revelations of sexual impropriety by powerful men in entertainment and politics, Mr Trump is an inconsistent as well as an unlikely critic of alleged offenders. More than a dozen allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct were leveled against him in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
