Donald Trump tending to both attract and surround himself with those who are like him took on a new and dark meaning with the revelation of abuse allegations against White House staff secretary Rob Porter.
Trump has himself stood accused of violence against at least one partner, besides the allegations of sexual harassment and assault that remain in force against him.
Besides the president himself, his now former top aide Steve Bannon has also been accused of violence against a partner, although those allegations weren’t enough to bring him down and/or keep him out of the White House. Only when the incendiary Michael Wolff published comments from Bannon critical of the president did Trump finally decide he didn’t like Bannon.
In the case of Porter, the allegations against him have, apparently, proven enough to force him out of his position.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a statement from Porter confirming his resignation at the press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
That statement read, in part:
‘These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described… My commitment to public service speaks for itself. I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump Administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.’
The photos Porter mentions were posted by reporter Ryan Grim to Twitter, and they’re of the bruised face of Porter’s ex-wife Colbie Holderness, who says Porter hit her during a trip overseas.
Senior White House aide Rob Porter physically assaulted two ex-wives, they tell @theintercept. Full story to come in the morning.
His first wife, Colbie Holderness, provided these photos from a vacation they took together in Florence, Italy: pic.twitter.com/tl3TbyGA8Y
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) February 7, 2018
Porter, as his statement indicates, will be staying on at the Trump administration essentially indefinitely, only planning to leave after a replacement for his position is named.
He has served as a member of the president’s inner circle for some time, often traveling with the president and often bearing great responsibility for the flow of information to the commander-in-chief.
One of Porter’s ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby, obtained a protective order against Porter in 2010 “because he violated their separation agreement at the time, and would not leave their apartment,” according to the Daily Mail.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was reportedly aware of this, but that didn’t stop him from heaping praise on the outgoing Porter anyway.
This comes after the Daily Mail published an interview with his second wife alleging abuse, with the White House standing firmly behind him. John Kelly: “Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can’t say enough good things about him.”https://t.co/OPy5qn3y7t
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) February 7, 2018
Featured Image via Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
