Putin really feels, and he feels strongly, that he did not meddle in our election. President trump says he wants to move on and get to work. Should he be putting more pressure on putin . Plus, buyers remorse. Would you vote for donald trump again . No. The gop takes a hit after major losses in two key states. Can the democrats carry this momentum into the midterms and 2020 . We ask dnc chair tom perez. From the white house, to your house, we take on the moments that mattered, this week. Announcer from abc news, its this week. Here now, coanchor martha raddatz. Good morning. Its been a year since the 2016 election and a year since republicans were rejoicing at winning majorities that put them in control of both congress and the white house. Fast forward to this week. The gop suffering blows in tuesdays elections. Losing ground to the democrats in whats being seen as a referendum on President Trump. And making the republican push to pass tax reform and demonstrating their ability to govern more important than ever. But the gop now has an even greater battle ahead. On thursday, those troubling allegations emerged in the Washington Post against Alabama Republican Senate candidate roy moore. Accused of sexual contact with a 14yearold girl. Decades ago. The allegations graphic in their detail. Accuser Leigh Corfman told the post, moore took off her shirt and pants and removed her clothes. He touched her over her bra and underpants and guided her hand to touch him over his underwear. Three other women coming forward, saying moore pursued them when they were between 16 and 18 years old. Moore was in his 30s. But the candidate also known to some as the Ten Commandments judge has fired back with a strong denial. Not only calling the accusations false, but painting this as a smear campaign. Blaming the media, the democrats, the republican establishment. And the women who accused him. Isnt it strange that after 40 years, of constant investigation, people have waited to four weeks prior to the general election to bring their complaints . Its not a coincidence. Its an intentional act to stop a campaign. These accusations coming at a watershed moment as more and more individuals come forward to share their stories of Sexual Harassment or abuse. Implicating Harvey Weinstein. Louis c. K. And kevin spacey, among others. Now the question for republicans in washington, alabama, and all across america, how will they respond . Unless the election is delayed, roy moore will be on the ballot next month. Will republicans choose to support a candidate accused of engaging in Sexual Misconduct with a minor . Will they denounce him and risk losing a Key Senate Seat . If he wins, will they count him among their rank most of them saying, if, if the allegations are true, he should step aside. And the white house has echoed that same line as the president travels overseas this week. But trump is promising further comments after he returns to the u. S. So, will we see a more decisive response from the president . For more, lets bring in counsellor to the president and one of his top advisers, Kellyanne Conway. Her voice among those advising donald trump as he decides whether to reject roy moore. And good morning, kellyanne. The Washington Post story is three days old. You have had time to digest it. Look through it. Do you have any doubt about the veracity of those accusations . I said early in the process, that the conduct as described should keep anyone from running for Public Office. Im sta ill stand by that. And the republicans have said, if these are true, he should be disqualified. Mr. Moore has denied that conduct. Other people are out there talking about what did or did not happen many years ago. That goes back to the if, if. If, if, if we prove this conduct, then he should leave. What is it that has to happen now for you to go into he should step aside . The one thing i will say is that the president is also not as focused as he is on his major 13day trip abroad. And so he made a statement. Hes sticking by that statement. Hes not being briefed bit by bit. Hes focused on new trade agreements. Hes very focused on Global Cooperation against a nuclearized north korea. Combatting terrorism. Well get back to that. Let me ask you again, do you have any doubt about the veracity of the accusations . Martha, i only know what i read. I take seriously allegations like this. Particularly when they involve somebody who happens to be one of my daughters ages. I take this seriously. I have tried to be a loud voice for a very long time against sexual impropriety. You believe the accusations . I know what i read. I dont know the accusers. I dont know judge roy moore. I also want to make sure that we, as nation, are not always prosecuting people through the press. Hes denied the allegations. I have read the stories. I have heard not the testimony, the evidence, but what people are saying publicly. And, i think that the what we have all said stands. I came out very probably the first person in the administration to come out because i happened to be interviewed on a Different Network about a different topic. Tax cuts. I said this conduct should be disqualifying. I look around and say, is this the best we can do . Roy moore says conduct like that should be disqualifying. Hes just saying he didnt do it. So what is the standard of proof here . Its one thing to say its terrible conduct. It is. Im not sure anyone would disagree with you. The question is and youre an adviser to the president. You have been following this. What is your standard of proof here . I mean, you either believe the women, or you dont. And this isnt a trial. But you said it best. Its not a trial. What do you mean the standard of proof and the evidence . I mean, what does it take for you to say he should resign . What has to happen before you would advise the president to say, roy moore should step aside . The president said he should step aside if the allegations are true. If, if, if. Where does the if lie . But martha. Hold on. I want to broaden this conversation. It would be a dangerous conversation for any of us to just be cast aside as guilty because of press reports. This is a democracy with a constitutional system that allows us to have a process. So were not in trial here. I only know what i read. What i read is very disturbing. What i read offends me greatly as a woman, as a mother of three young girls. Understood. But what youre saying is maybe those four women are lying . No, i didnt say that. You have four women. Who the post came to. I didnt say that. I didnt say that. But i also know that credibility is not been imbued on other people when they have tried to raise issues like this based on their political affiliations and based on who they work for. We know that. Many accusers over the years, much evidence against a former president. And very little coverage of that. Respectfully. The fact is, that on this particular issue, we need to have a serious conversation. On this one, youre talking about decadeslong conduct. Allegations in the press. And we already in this conversation have probably spent more time talking about roy moore and this than we have talked about a democratic United States senator sitting in a federal courthouse as a criminal defendant in a trial. Has been indicted on some serious criminal counts and we cant get any coverage on it. Well be talking about that. Well be talking about that. Let me be very explicit here. I denounce that conduct. If the allegations are true, he should step aside. If theyre true about a lot of people, they ought to step aside. Some of them are probably Holding Office right now. Mitt romney tweeted innocent until Proven Guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman. Her account is too serious to ignore. Mor is unfit for office and should step aside. So let me ask you one more question on this, do you believe Leigh Corfman . I dont know Leigh Corfman. Youre asking me that means it goes nowhere. Thats not true. Youre asking on behalf of the white house and the president to make a judgment about something when hes on a 13day trip and spoke explicitly as has the Vice President , i, other top advisers. Let me say it one last time. The conduct as described is not just offensive and disgusting, it disqualifies anyone who has done it from Holding Public office. So let me go a little step farther. If theres anyone currently in Public Office who has behaved that way to any girl or woman, maybe they should step aside. In a country of 330 million people, we ought to be able to do better than this. I tried to raise this issue a year ago on october 9th. I said explicitly that i had been a victim of people in power. Nobody took me seriously. You know why . Because of who i work for. Whose campaign i was managing. I tried to have the conversation a year before everybody else. You want to have this conversation, everybody. Lets have it. But lets be honest about it. It goes far beyond one article in a newspaper. Its in most i want to move on to russia. But let me say again, four women who were named. And 30 women corroborating it. They should have their day. They should have their day. They should speak up. I think they did. In the Washington Post. They should. The rest of it, youre asking me about political strategy. Valid access in the state of alabama. Thats up to alabama. Its hard to read this. I know. But you also cant say whether you believe the accusers or not. Youre not going to go that far. So lets move on to russia. I want to get clarity on President Trumps position. He said saturday on air force one that every time he sees vladimir putin, putin says, i didnt do that, and i believe, i really believe that when he tells me that, he means it. He tried to clarify that in a press conference overnight. Lets listen. I believe he feels that he and russia did not meddle in the election. As to whether i believe it or not, im with our agencies, especially as currently constituted with their leadership. I believe in our intel agencies. Our intelligence agencies. Those two statements seem to contradict each other. Which is it . No, its what i i cant imagine the president could be more explicit. He said yesterday, as he said today, that when president putin says it, president putin means it. He means they didnt interfere. What the president said is he thinks hes just delusional . President putin . He didnt use that word. He said president putin believes it. What the president believes is whats most important here. He believes the assessment of the intelligence communities. He stands by that. Hes very respectful of that. Director pompeo of the cia said the same thing. This president has formed his judgment about the issues. Based on the intelligence communities of this country. The president is not the chairman of the board of elections. Hes the president of the United States. He wants to deal with president putin and other World Leaders as he has for two weeks now, martha, on major issues like Global Security. On trade, perhaps. In other countries. On combatting isis. On a nuclearized north korea. Most americans watching this show and everywhere in this country right now appreciate having a strong leader who is willing to take his council from the along with the International Community and put the case right to north korea, say to abe, putin, xi, and others, join with us. In making sure the nuclearized north korea is contained. Lets talk about what else he said about north korea. President trump tweeted this yesterday from vietnam. Why would kim jongun insult me by calling me old when i would never call him short and fat, which is apparently trending on twitter right now. Oh, well, i tried so hard to be his friend. Maybe some day that will happen. How is that helpful . I think the whole trip is very helpful. How is that helpful . How is that helpful . Martha, whats helpful in full context, is a 13day trip where the president is focused on Global Security and combatting terrorism. And containing a nuclearized north korea. North korea is everyones business. This man has been on the job for nine or ten months. We inherited a mess. Including a nuclearized north korea. Including the iran deal. Including many hot spots around the globe. That he is trying when hes here at his desk and when hes abroad on these trips, hes trying to make better on behalf of everyone. You think namecalling is helpful . Calling somebody short and fat . I think that that was a the president just responding the way he does to somebody who insulted him first. But i look at the full context of his entire trip and everything hes trying to do. Its been an incredibly successful and inspiring trip for those who care about north korea not being nuclearized. For those who care about free trade in this country. For those who care about trade agreements that dont keep screwing americans and American Workers. For those who care about syria and what happens with china. What the president s been able to do with leaders around the world, the cooperation is up. They have announced big new deals here. Which affect American Workers and interests. And that, plus the tax cut were going to get very soon, is why you see the stock market and Consumer Confidence at alltime highs. People like what they see. Thank you for joining us. Joining me from alabama, matt murphy and andrea lindenburg. Theyre the hosts of the most listened to political news radio program, matt and ani, what is syndicated throughout the state. Matt, i want to start with you. Your radio show broadcasts all across alabama. How are your listeners reacting to the roy moore story . Do people believe the accusations . Are they skeptical . Well, initially, martha, it was a reaction of shock. Roy moore is a known quantity in alabama. Hes been running for chief justice. Run for governor twice. We have known him for 20, 25 years of his political life. It was one of shock that this type of explosive allegation would not have come out before now. And frankly, there is skepticism considering the source. We understand in a conservative state like alabama, perhaps we dont share the values of the Washington Post. Listeners questioned the source and the timing of all of this initially. And you were in touch with two of the accusers. Theyre standing by their stories. This is not just the Washington Post. These are four women coming forward. Thats true. The day the story broke, we immediately started i reached out to them on social media to see if i could talk with them a little bit more. Two of the women in the 16 to 18 age range in the article, um, responded to me. One said that she stood by the story in the Washington Post. She thought she was represented well. And she didnt have any other comment. The other woman who responded said, that, she didnt have any other comment either. The next morning, when we were on the air, she typed to me a message, she said, im listening to the show right now. So we presented to our listeners, what do you want to say to these women . What do you want to ask . She responded with Something Else before she stopped communication. She said, i have a problem with the fact that he gave me alcohol when i was 18 and the drinking age was 19 at the time. She said it matters. She may come forward and tell her story, she said, as others come forward. Then communication stopped. And she her attorney released another statement. And matt or both of you, reheard roy moore deny the accusations, calling them false, untrue, fake news. Do you think alabama residents found that response satisfactory . Andrea, why dont you start. Well, i think that response some did. Certainly his supporters are loyal. Theyre staunch. That was enough for them. Others wanted more. Then he had an interview that he did and we listened to that closely friday and friday night. That was a little bit more detailed. But, you really have two camps calling us. One, the supporters who absolutely believe roy moore and that this didnt happen. And then there are others who want more information. They dont want to discount what the women are saying, no matter the motivation. I would say whether it happened a week ago or 39 years ago, an allegation like this is serious. I think the alabama voters are taking it seriously. They want to hear from judge moore. We have a call out to judge moore to come on the show. He claims he did not know the 14yearold. Never had contact with her. Hopefully, we get more information so that alabama voters can digest this prior to the election in december. They dont have much time left to make a decision. In light of the allegations, could another republican step forward in a writein campaign . I dont know how a writein campaign would work. Theres a fear that the vote would be split. Some would suggest congressman luther strange. Some suggested mo brooks. Some said the governor could reschedule the election to a later time, perhaps in 2018, giving the Republican Party enough time to perhaps get to the bottom of all of this and convince judge moore to step aside, should he need to. Given what we have already heard in the post. And from your listeners. Do you think roy moore will win . Thats a good question. Theres a chance. Certainly. He says hes not stepping down. If they dont postpone this election. We have people voting absentee. The military voting right now. Certainly, theres a chance. He stays on the ballot. The writein could split that vote and lean toward doug jones, a democrat. Theres a chance. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Coming up, the democratic response from party chair tom perez. Can his party turn deep red alabama blue . And can they carry the success