Noah Rothman of the conservative "Commentary Magazine" stated that the op-ed was "rationalizing away child molestation" while "preening self-righteous in the process. Molly Roberts of the "Washington Post" wrote that the op-ed was "uniquely awful" and advocated "moral bankruptcy" Domenech defended "The Federalist" for publishing Borland's op-ed saying the magazine "remains avowedly committed to offering alternative views. For those that have a problem with this, the question is simple: what are you afraid of?" The "New York Times" has since reported that one of the Federalist's largest, secret funders had been Dick Uihlein, a "Midwestern packing supply magnate and Trump donor" who has also financed Moore's Senate campaign.