Trump summons press to defend abuser, ignore his victims

Donald Trump summoned reporters to the Oval Office Friday to give his full-throated support to Rob Porter, while ignoring the multiple women who have accused him of domestic abuse.

Trump repeatedly praised his former staffer in an unscheduled press availability, where reporters were given just a few minutes notice that they would be taken into the room with Trump.

There, he was asked about the scandal and he proceeded to weigh in.

“We wish him well,” Trump said. “He worked very hard. 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. He did a very good job when he was in the White House.”

Earlier in the day, Trump threw his communications director Hope Hicks under the bus over the scandal. Hicks had reportedly been dating Porter, and Trump claimed that her romantic involvement with him had clouded her judgment, even though it was Trump’s chief of staff, John Kelly, who promoted and protected Porter.

For Porter, however, Trump had nothing but praise.

“We hope he has a wonderful career,” Trump said of the man accused of beating multiple women. “It was very sad,” he added, insisting, “he’s also very sad.”

Porter resigned after photos of his ex-wife with a black eye she attributed to him surfaced.

Trump then declared Porter’s innocence, despite evidence to the contrary — including the FBI refusing to grant him security clearance, based on his record of domestic violence.

“He also, as you probably know, he says he’s innocent,” Trump said. “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.”

Trump again wished Porter well and said that ” he did a good job.”

As he did when proclaiming neo-Nazis to be “very fine people,” Trump has once again darkened the presidency by putting its power and prestige behind the worst behavior: domestic violence and abuse.