GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire says she “misspoke” when she said Donald Trump, her party’s presidential nominee, should be considered a role model.
“I misspoke tonight,” Ms. Ayotte said in a statement after a Monday debate.
“While I would hope all of our children would aspire to be president, neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton have set a good example, and I wouldn’t hold up either of them as role models for my kids,” she said.
Earlier, Ms. Ayotte had said during the debate she would indeed consider Mr. Trump to be a role model.
“I think certainly there are many role models that we have. I believe he can serve as president and so absolutely, I would do that,” Ms. Ayotte had said when asked if she would point to Mr. Trump as a role model.
Ms. Ayotte, first elected in 2010, is locked in a tight race against Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. She’s tried to keep Mr. Trump at arm’s length to a certain degree, repeatedly saying that she’s supporting him but not endorsing his candidacy.
“I’ve had some disagreements with him, and I’ve been quite clear about those disagreements,” Ms. Ayotte said at the debate.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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