President Donald Trump defended his former staff secretary Rob Porter on Friday, even after strong accusations that he beat his two ex-wives led to his abrupt departure from the administration.
‘I found out about it recently and I was surprised by it. But we certainly wish him well. It’s obviously a tough time for him,’ the president said.
‘He did a very good job when he was in the White House and we hope he has a wonderful career, and hopefully he will have a great career ahead of him.’
‘It was very sad when we heard about it,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, ‘and certainly he’s also very sad.
‘Now, he also, as you probably know, he says he’s innocent. And I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent. So you’ll have to talk to him about that. But we absolutely wish him well. He did a very good job when he was at the White House.’
President Donald Trump defended his former staff secretary Rob Porter on Friday following accusations that he beat his two ex-wives
John Kelly, who has faced criticism for initially defending Porter earlier this week, was told in October that Porter (right) had a history of domestic violence
Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, (left) claims he repeatedly punched and choked her. His second wife Jennifer Willoughby has also claimed that Porter was abusive in their marriage
The president didn’t mention Porter’s two ex-wives, who have both said publicly that he physically abused them.
Porter is in a romantic relationship with White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, who is Trump’s longest-serving personal aide.
Trump’s astonishing defense of a man accused of a long history of domestic abuse was reminiscent of Trump’s decision to side with accused child molester Roy Moore in November as the Alabama politician was in a tight race for the U.S. Senate.
‘He totally denies it. He says it didn’t happen,’ Trump said of Moore as he left the White House for the Thanksgiving holiday last year. ‘And, you know, you have to listen to him also.’
Kelly stood in the Oval Office on Friday as reporters crowded around Trump
DailyMail.com first reported that Hope Hicks (right) is in a romantic relationship with Porter
A media feeding frenzy erupted in the Oval Office when Trump called the press pool in
Trump wished Porter well and said he hopes the former aide hsa a great career ahead of him – but did not mention his alleged victims
Porter stepped down from his job following on-the-record claims to DailyMail.com from his ex-wives Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby about the abuse they say they suffered during their marriages to the former Trump aide.
Holderness claims Porter choked and punched her during their marriage, while Willoughby says he dragged her wet and naked out of the shower and was verbally abusive.
The Porter saga is quickly developing into a full-scale crisis for the Trump administration as questions swirl about who in the White House knew about his past – and when.
Chief of Staff John Kelly was told in October 2017 that Porter’s ex-wives were prepared to level devastating accusations of spousal abuse against him.
Porter’s then-girlfriend told Kelly personally that Porter had abused his two exes, according to a White House official.
White House counsel Don McGahn had known since early 2017 that Porter was at risk of being accused of being violent with the women.
But the news made it to Kelly when Porter’s girlfriend told him, after contacting a White House aide who reported to him.
Trump himself was not informed about Porter’s alleged history of abuse until Tuesday night when DailyMail.com first reported the ex-wives’ claims.
The Washington Post reported Friday that McGahn was aware of the potential crisis a year ago. Politico reported that Kelly knew long before DailyMail.com first reported about Porter’s spousal abuse.
Trump’s defense of Porter was reminiscent of his words about Roy Moore on November 21, 2017 as he left the White House for the Thanksgiving Day holiday
Moore is the unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate who was accused of molesting teen girls decades earlier
Kelly also learned from federal law enforcement in November, weeks after Porter’s live-in girlfriend spoke with him, that accusations against Porter were keeping him from receiving a permanent security clearance.
But he continued to give Porter more and more responsibilities to control the flow of information to the president.
DailyMail.com is not identifying the girlfriend because she is a victim of domestic abuse accusations.
The White House declined to comment on Friday.
Porter has denied the ‘vile’ accusations, but was unceremoniously bounced from his White House job this week.
Kelly sent a memo to staffers on Thursday evening denouncing domestic violence in response to the ‘shocking and troubling’ allegations.
He has faced intense criticism for his defense of Porter, who was allowed to resign from his position as staff secretary earlier in the week.
White House Counsel Don McGahn (left) was told a year ago that Porter’s past spousal abuse might be an issue for the administration
In August 2017 Politico reported that a senior White House official said Kelly was ‘auditing everyone and figuring out what everyone’s role is, and if people are in the right place.’
He has refused to issue a mea culpa but claimed in an email to staff that he does not take allegations of physical abuse lightly.
‘While we are all processing the shocking and troubling allegations made against a former White House staffer, I want you to know that we all take matters of domestic violence seriously,’ he wrote. ‘Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in our society.’
Kelly added that there were resources available at the White House for those seeking counseling.