Elections

Steve Bannon takes an apparent shot at Ivanka Trump during an event for Roy Moore

Key Points
  • At an Alabama rally for Roy Moore, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says there's a "special place in hell for Republicans who should know better."
  • Bannon's comment borrows from a statement Ivanka Trump made condemning child predators
  • Many Republicans have distanced themselves from Moore, who is accused of sexually abusing teenagers and denies the allegations.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told attendees at an Alabama rally for GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore on Monday that "there's a special place in hell for Republicans who should know better."

Bannon made his comments a day before voters decide whether to send Moore or Democrat Doug Jones to the U.S. Senate. Moore, 70, denies allegations that he sexually pursued teen-age girls when he was in his 30s.

Bannon's use of the expression "special place in hell" borrows from a statement President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump made in November condemning child predators.

Last month, Ivanka Trump told The Associated Press "there's a special place in hell for people who prey on children." She also said she had "no reason to doubt the victims' accounts," a reference to the Moore allegations.

Among the accusations against Moore, a woman said he initiated a sexual relationship with her when she was 14. Another woman accuses him of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.