Trump WON'T campaign for Roy Moore as sexual misconduct claims pile up – despite trashing his opponent as a 'Schumer/Pelosi puppet' and promoting Moore's denials

  • President Trump went after Doug Jones, Roy Moore's Democratic opponent in the Senate special election, Sunday on Twitter
  • But he's stopped short of offering Moore his outright endorsement, and the White House suggested Monday that he won't campaign for him 
  • Trump on Sunday called Jones a 'Schumer/Pelosi puppet' and said he was 'WEAK' on crime, the border, the military and veterans 
  • 'Jones would be a disaster,' Trump wrote, as he encouraged Alabama voters to choose Moore despite the sexual misconduct allegations against him

A White House official says President Donald Trump will not campaign for Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore before the Dec. 12 special election.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity, but put to rest any notion that Trump would stump for the embattled nominee.

Moore stands accused of fondling a 14-year-old girl decades ago, and of trying to 'date' other teen girls who were above the age of consent in Alabama when he was in his thirties.

DailyMail.com asked Trump last Wednesday whether he would personally campaign for Moore, and he punted the question, saying he would have an answer 'next week.'

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Donald Trump, pictured returning to the White House Sunday evening with First Lady Melania Trump, will not campaign for embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore

Donald Trump, pictured returning to the White House Sunday evening with first lady Melania Trump, will not campaign for embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore

Moore stands accused of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl four decades ago, and of 'dating' 16- and 17-year old girls while he was in his thirties

Trump has leaned heavily on Moore's denials of the allegations facing him. He all but endorsed the candidate last week, attacking Democratic nominee Doug Jones as a liberal who would work against his legislative priorities.

'Roy Moore denies it – And by the way, he totally denies it,' Trump said last week, responding to DailyMail.com's questions as he left the White House for his private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

The president has declined to follow the path of other mainstream Republican leaders who have called on Moore to step aside. Republican lawmakers are considering expelling Moore should he win the seat.

The president continued his attacks on Jones over the weekend, writing on Twitter that '[t]he last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY.'

Trump followed that by reminding voters that he had backed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in the state's Republican primary, but Strange lost to the far-right Moore.

Trump talked to reporters on Nov. 21, saying he would delay a decision about campaigning for Moore for another week

Trump suggested Democrat Doug Jones would raise 'taxes to the sky' if he won the Alabama Senate seat over embattled Republican Roy Moore

Trump suggested Democrat Doug Jones would raise 'taxes to the sky' if he won the Alabama Senate seat over embattled Republican Roy Moore

He also reminded Americans that he didn't support Roy Moore in the special election's GOP primary, instead backing Alabama incumbent Sen. Luther Strange

He also reminded Americans that he didn't support Roy Moore in the special election's GOP primary, instead backing Alabama incumbent Sen. Luther Strange

'I endorsed Luther Strange in the Alabama Primary,' Trump wrote. 'He shot way up in the polls but it wasn't enough.' 

'Can't let Schumer/Pelosi win this race,' Trump continued, name-dropping Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the Senate and House, respectively. 

'Liberal Jones would be BAD!' Trump added.  

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is still expected to appear at an event with Moore on December 5, a week before the special election.

Bannon and Trump split their endorsements in the special election with Bannon backing and campaigning for Moore and Trump picking Strange, who also had the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. 

But Alabama Republicans went anti-establishment in their choice of Moore, a controversial judge who was twice removed from the state Supreme Court.

Likely getting a bump from Trump, Moore has retaken the lead in the Alabama Senate race in two new polls. 

Moore has been accused of sexual assault by three different women, including one who was 14 at the time, and other sexual misconduct behavior by six others.

He's denied the allegations and refused to leave the race, even after a number of high profile Republicans have said he should go.