Mike Huckabee Defends Child Molester Josh Duggar: "Good People Make Mistakes"

Mike Huckabee, Josh Duggar (inset) | Photo Credits: Corbis; Corbis

It's a political match made in heaven: Republican candidate for president Mike Huckabee took to Facebook to publicly affirm his support for the Duggar family in the wake of reports that eldest son Josh Duggar molested five young girls, including his own sisters.

Josh Duggar admits to wrongdoing in response to molestation reports

"[My wife] Janet and I want to affirm our support for the Duggar family," Huckabee wrote. "Josh's actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, 'inexcusable,' but that doesn't mean 'unforgivable.' Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things. ... It is such times as this, when real friends show up and stand up. Today, Janet and I want to show up and stand up for our friends."

Aw. How sweet. Now, if Josh had revealed he was gay or transgender, his parents and the Huckabees might not be so quick to jump on the warm-and-fuzzy support train. The Huckabees and the Duggars go way back: They're both prominent conservatives from Arkansas who oppose abortion and same-sex marriage, as well as trans rights and other protections for the LGBT community.

A quick recap on the Duggar drama, for those of you who have remained mercifully out of the loop: A 33-page police report obtained by In Touch Weekly revealed Josh Duggar had molested and "forcibly fondled" young girls when he was between the ages of 14 and 17 years old. The victims included his sisters (all of whom are younger than him). On Friday, TLC announced it was pulling 19 Kids & Counting from the schedule.

VIDEO: Watch Mike Huckabee's cringe-worthy interview on homosexuality

Last year, matriarch Michelle Duggar recorded a robocall warning people that if equal protection laws were passed for LGBT people in Fayetteville, Ark., their children would be exposed to child predators.

"I don't believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls. ... We should never place the preference of an adult over the safety and innocence of a child," she said in the call.

The group that put out the robocall, FreeFayetteville, was a part of the Arkansas Research Council, an arm of the Family Research Council, an anti-LGBT group where Josh Duggar worked until his resignation yesterday.

Huckabee opposed a similar measure in California, by essentially saying teenage boys are all perverts who would lie about being transgender to use the women's bathroom.

Just this month, Josh Duggar tweeted a photo of himself and Huckabee:

And he's not the only politician who's gotten cozy with the Duggars: Though they formally supported Rick Santorum in the 2012 elections, they have evidently been keeping their options open for the next cycle.

Here he is with Scott Walker:

And back with Rick Santorum:

He took some time to watch a Ben Carson speech:

And even hung out with Ted Cruz!

But Huckabee is the only presidential contender who's thrown his hat in the ring for an admitted child molester -- so far, anyways.