White House press briefing addresses Al Franken, Trump accusations, Nov. 17, 2017 — as it happened

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in the White House press briefing Friday described what she sees as a major difference between President Trump’s alleged conduct and Sen. Al Franken’s alleged conduct.

She said, “Senator Fanken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn’t. I think that’s a very clear distinction.”

Mr. Trump has come under fire for failing to personally address accusations that GOP U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore pursued teenage girls when he was in his 30s, including sexually touching minors. But Mr. Trump has addressed allegations levied Thursday against the Minnesota Democrat accused of groping and forcibly kissing a woman, unleashing tweets late Thursday night decrying “Al Frankenstien.”

Mr. Trump has been accused of inappropriate conduct by at least 16 women, and the “Access Hollywood” tape of him discussing grabbing women’s genitalia was released weeks before the November 2016 presidential election.

But Sanders also said sexual harassment should be taken “very seriously.”