Republican-elected officials—at least, those not hailing from Alabama—have finally found a hill they're not willing to die on. It's child molestation. Accusations that Bible-thumping Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore once molested a 14-year-old child was, at long last, the thing top Republicans could no longer stomach.
“I think he should step aside,” [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] said. Asked by a reporter whether he believed the allegations, McConnell responded: “I believe the women, yes.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell has steadfastly refused to comment on any and all wrongdoing by other members of his party, namely Donald Trump, so it's difficult to convey what a dramatic shift in positions it is. Yes, it took a credible charge of child molestation to do it—but Mitch is done. He's out. And he's not the only Republican to be dropping the "if true" qualifier from their previous half-condemnations of Roy Moore. Top Republicans are now making it very clear that they don't want anything more to do with him.
In his capacity as NRSC chairman, Sen. Cory Gardner was blunt, saying "I believe the individuals speaking out against Roy Moore" and that if Moore "refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate."
Sen. John McCain and Sen. Pat Toomey had previously called for Moore to step aside.