Senator Elizabeth Warren is already on the record calling the alleged sexual misconduct of her Senate colleague Al Franken “unacceptable and deeply disappointing.” But when late-night host Stephen Colbert asked Warren directly if she thought Franken should step down during Tuesday’s episode of “The Late Show,” the Massachusetts senator went in a different direction with her answer.
“Al Franken, a comedian I’ve long admired and a politician I’ve recently admired, has been caught up in two accusations, one of which he’s acknowledged and apologized for,” Colbert said. “People are calling for Al Franken to step down. Do you think he should?”
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“I was just enormously disappointed about this,” Warren said. “I knew Senator Franken long before he was Senator Franken, and his wife, Franny. These allegations are serious, and women have a right to be heard and listened to on this. Al is going to be subjected to a hearing in the Unites States Senate . . . and he’s going to go in and answer.”
Warren also dodged a hypothetical question from Colbert about whether she would support expelling Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore — who has been under pressure to drop out of the race in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations — from the Senate if he were to be elected.
“We’re not there yet,” Warren said. “We’re still pre-election, and I think we have a really good candidate on the Democratic side. And the people of Alabama need to get out there, and I hope they support that Democratic candidate.”
Kevin Slane can be reached at kevin.slane@boston.com