Momentum shifts in battle for Senate

[Geee]

The Hill:

Democrats are seizing on Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s (R-N.H.) remarks at a debate that Donald Trump is “absolutely” a role model for children as a pivotal moment in the race for the Senate majority.

 

The Democrats see Ayotte’s comments, which she immediately sought to walk back, as a potential turning point not only in the tight New Hampshire race but also in the broader fight across a host of battleground states.

 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a digital ad Tuesday that simply contains unedited footage of the moment, while liberal star Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) issued a stream of tweets ripping Ayotte.

“Think about it: @realDonaldTrump calls Latinos rapists, African Americans thugs, & women fat pigs, & Kelly Ayotte thinks he’s a role model,” Warren wrote in one of the tweets.

 

“You can’t walk this back. ... [You] can’t support @realDonaldTrump’s agenda, say you’re voting for him, then pretend to shake your finger,” she added in another message.

 

Ayotte, who says she supports Trump but will not endorse him, tried to clarify her remarks after the debate, releasing a statement that said neither Trump nor Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “have set a good example and I wouldn’t hold up either of them as role models for my kids.”

 

Democrats signaled Tuesday that they believe the Ayotte story has legs and that Trump’s comments about women can be used against other Republican Senate candidates.