Ayotte says she ‘misspoke’ when she said Trump is role model
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday she “misspoke” when she said Donald Trump is a role model for children, a tortured response that Democrats moved quickly to exploit in the competitive Senate race.
The Republican presidential nominee’s past week of fat-shaming a beauty pageant winner and mocking imitation of an ailing Hillary Clinton combined with his past criticism of Hispanics, women and the disabled has put vulnerable GOP senators on the spot.
Ayotte, who is locked in a tight race with two-term Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan, told a debate audience Monday evening that she “absolutely” would tell a child to aspire to be like the New York real estate mogul. A short time later, her campaign issued a statement in which Ayotte reversed herself and said she misspoke.
The freshman senator reiterated that point on Tuesday before taking a turn behind the counter at a McDonald’s in Hudson, New Hampshire.