Roy Moore spokesperson repeatedly uses CNN anchor's 'unborn child' as talking point in contentious interview about harassment accusations

CNN

CNN's Poppy Harlow with Roy Moore spokesperson Jane Porter on CNN's "New Day."

• During a contentious interview on CNN, Jane Porter, the spokesperson for embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore, repeatedly attempted to pivot to abortion rights, citing the CNN anchor's pregnancy.
• Moore has made opposition to abortion a central theme of his campaign.

CNN's Poppy Harlow clashed with a spokesperson for Roy Moore, who repeatedly attempted to use Harlow's pregnancy to make a point about abortion.

In a lengthy interview on CNN on Tuesday, Jane Porter refused to answer multiple questions about whether she believed numerous accusations about the Alabama Senate candidate's history of predatory behavior toward teenage women.

Instead, Moore's spokesperson deflected by promoting Moore's support of the Second Amendment and his opposition to abortion rights, both of which have been central tenets of his campaign.

"If you care about child abuse, you should be talking about the fact that Judge Roy Moore stands for protection not only of our Second Amendment rights so we can protect ourselves against predators, but for the rights of babies like your eight month baby that you're carrying right now," Porter said. "Doug Jones says you can take the life of that baby, and we should pay for it."

"Let's leave my child out of this," Harlow replied.

The interview grew contentious as Harlow continued to press Porter over whether she believed Moore's accusers.

"I have respect for you for coming on this show, for taking the time, but I want to make it very clear so everyone understands: You believe that all eight of these women, that CNN has vetted their stories, are lying. That these are, in your words, fake allegations," Harlow said. "Yes or no: Do you believe them?"

"May I respond? Eight of the people are non-accusers, that did not accuse Judge Moore of sexual misconduct," Porter said before criticizing several of Moore's accusers by name.  

The spokesperson said Moore himself was being "harassed" by accusations, and discredited one accuser's call for Moore to testify about the accusations before the Senate Judiciary Committee, pointing out that Sen. Al Franken sits on the committee (though Porter said she did not have "any opinion" on the accusations against the Minnesota Democrat until he admitted to harassing women himself last month). 

Porter also criticized journalists over coverage of the Alabama race and gave media outlets advice.

She dubbed the media writ-large the "lynch-mob media," accused The Washington Post of having an "agenda," and said the jobs of journalists are "not just to take an academy award performance at face value."

"There's a reason why people have the phrase 'fake news,'" Porter said. 

Over the past several days, Republicans have lined up to support Moore despite backlash over allegations of sexual misconduct.

President Donald Trump endorsed the Alabama GOP candidate, and the Republican National Committee reversed its decision to back away from Moore.