Another day, another Roy Moore surrogate implodes on live television while defending the Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate from allegations that he routinely preyed on teenage girls, some as young as 14 years old, while he was an assistant district attorney in Alabama. First it was Alabama ‘reporter’ Brandon Moseley giving a train wreck of an interview on live television. Now it is Roy Moore’s attorney, Trenton Rogers Gorman, who had the gall to defend Moore against accusations he is a child molester and that he routinely preyed on underage teen girls by bringing up the background of MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi, a Canadian who was born in Kenya and happens to be Muslim. You understand, right, Ali? RIGHT?
Although the entire interview was cringeworthy, this is the part where Gorman pulled out his dog whistle and co-host Stephanie Ruhle wouldn’t let it fly, refusing to give Gorman a pass for the flimsy excuses Moore might’ve had for dating teen girls. Watch it below, and read the transcript.
Here’s the clip, full transcript below.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Are you saying you think that this woman is a false witness? You think her testimony is made up?
TRENTON GORMAN: You know, I would say that I'm reserving judgment based on what I have seen, the evidence out there now. Her stepson says he does not believe her. And there are issues about some health that I had the opportunity to get into. I will say this. When someone breaks a law, there should be consequences. So if someone breaks a law and sexually molests someone, there should be consequences. If someone breaks a law and is misrepresenting something, are perjuring someone --
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Trenton please know it is --
TRENTON GORMAN: Judge Moore has denied it and I believe him.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: It is so difficult when only one side is heard. Please know Roy Moore is welcome to join Ali on TV today, tomorrow, any day this week. But we should share some of what
he did say to Sean hannity the other night. He does deserve to have his voice heard. Take a listen.
[HANNITY CLIP BEGINS]
SEAN HANNITY: Would it be unusual for you as a 32-year-old guy to have dated a woman as young as 17? That would be a, what? 15-year difference? Or a girl, 18? Do you remember dating girls that young at that time?
ROY MOORE: Not generally, no. If I did, you know, I'm not going to dispute anything, but I don't remember anything like that.
SEAN HANNITY: But you don't specifically remember having any girlfriend that was in her late teens even at that time?
ROY MORE: No, I don't remember that and I don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother.
[HANNITY CLIP ENDS]
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Okay. So if Roy Moore doesn't remember, how could he say that it's definitively false? And number two, why would he need permission from any of these girls' mothers if they weren't underage?
TRENTON GORMAN: That's a good question. Culturally, I'm going to say that's different. I looked up Ali’s background, and wow, that’s awesome that you have got such a diverse background, it’s really cool to read through that.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: What does Ali's background have to do with dating a 14-year-old?
TRENTON GORMAN: I'm not finished with the content of it.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Please answer. What does Ali Velshi's background have to do with dating children, 14-year-old girls?
TRENTON GORMAN: Sure. In other countries there's arrangement through parents for what we would refer --
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Ali's from Canada. Ali's from Canada.
TRENTON GORMAN: I understand that. And Ali's also spent time in other countries.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: So have I.
TRENTON GORMAN: It's not a bad thing.
ALI VELSHI: I don't know where you're going with this Trenton.
TRENTON GORMAN: Here's to answer your question. He said no, comma. So he answered no. And then he went on to say his process would be before he went on to date anybody whether they were 25, 35, or whether he doesn't know their age, he would ask the mother's permission. He actually answered no. There's no inconsistency in that. And I stand by the answer to me it's the most appropriate --
STEPHANIE RUHLE: You know what, sir? I have not spent time in Alabama and that is your community. You have young daughters. If your daughter was 14, would you think it's appropriate that she date a man in his 30s? Would you think it was Normal that a random man sign her yearbook?
TRENTON GORMAN: I would say no. If someone came to me like what was postulated there saying could I date your daughter? I would say no. Like my wife and I. When we courted we did not know each other's age. I was 29 at the time and she was 21. She thought I was 40, I guess my hair was falling out more than I would like to acknowledge when I look in the mirror. But point is this. I wasn't sure how old she was. He laid out a clear culturally acceptable process to get permission of a parent. Sometimes you ask --
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Pardon me, sir. We got to get personal for a moment.
>> He said no. That was his answer.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Girls at 14 haven't even hit puberty. So there's a very big difference between 14 and 15 and 25 and 35. 14 years old, that's a child.
TRENTON GORMAN: I understand what you're saying. His answer was no. And his answer was any time he would go to date someone, he would get permission of the mother.
STEPHANIE RUHLE: So the answer isn't no. It was not usually.