'Place in hell': Ivanka Trump’s words for people who prey on children

Ivanka Trump weighed in on Wednesday about the allegations of sexual misconduct against Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore. She said there is a special place in hell for those who prey on children.

US President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter told the Associated Press that she has no reason to doubt the victims' accounts. She did not call for Moore to step out of the race.

Ivanka has won praise for her policy efforts from GOP allies. Republican Sen Susan Collins of Maine said she was the “most effective” member of the White House team, AP reports.

White House reacts

The White House has already reacted about sexual misconduct allegations against Moore, saying they are "troubling” and something that needs to be taken seriously. It did not mention unequivocally that he must drop out of the race.

US president Donald Trump, according to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, believes it must be left up to Alabama voters to determine whether Moore is elected to the US Senate. Sanders did not say whether Trump believes the accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore from multiple women are true.

Sanders also noted that Trump backed the decision by the Republican National Committee to withdraw resources from the [Alabama] race. With her statement, the White House appeared to have effectively rejected proposals in recent days that would remove Moore from the ballot.

“I believe the individuals speaking out against Roy Moore spoke with courage and truth, proving he is unfit to serve in the United States Senate and he should not run for office,” CNBC quotes National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Cory Gardner as saying.

Senator Gardner added that if Moore does not withdraw and wins, the Senate must vote to expel him as he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the US Senate. Former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney reportedly said that Moore is unfit for office and must step aside.

The Washington Post has published a story detailing the allegations that Moore had encounters with teenage girls in the past. Moore has been accused of pursuing romantic and sexual relationships with young girls, one as young as 14, during the late 1970s. He was in his 30s at that time.

Some women said Moore pursued romantic relationships with them or sexually assaulted them, including Beverly Young Nelson, who alleged that Moore tried to rape her when she was 16 years old. The accusations were denied by Moore, who shows no signs of stepping down.