Donald Trump Defends Rob Porter's Character, Continues to Sympathize with Abusers and Predators

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | February 9, 2018 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | February 9, 2018 |

Donald Trump did a huge favor for his Chief of Staff John Kelly today by taking the heat off of him and refocusing the nation’s exhaustion and outrage back onto himself by saying the the absolute worst possible thing he could say when asked about Rob Porter.

Trump on Rob Porter: "We wish him well…obviously a tough time for him." pic.twitter.com/2b3lcVNpYh

— Axios (@axios) February 9, 2018

“We certainly wish him well. It’s obviously a very tough time for him. We wish him a very wonderful career … He’s very sad. Very sad when we heard about it … as you probably know he says he’s innocent and I think you have to remember that. We absolutely wish him well.”

Poor Rob Porter. It’s so sad for him that after violently abusive relationships with multiple women, the media finally caught on. It’s a real shame because this wife-beating thug was so good at his job, and good men like Rob Porter — who beat his first wife and pulled his second wife out of a shower and berated her — deserve only the best. Let’s just hope that the restraining order and the pressure that Porter put on his second wife not to rat him out to the FBI doesn’t hurt his long-term prospects.

Thanks, Trump, for looking out for those who mean the most in these situations, the real victims. Those poor, put-upon domestic abusers.

Reminder: Republicans don’t care about women.

This is an important time to talk about this WH and whether they value women. Because, consistently, their actions tell us they don’t.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

Despite some cheap words in the State of the Union, the President refuses to lift a finger to pass a real paid family leave bill. https://t.co/1XJMue5joh

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

Worse yet, this administration actually rolled back an Obama rule that required businesses to report pay data to help close the wage gap. https://t.co/7ghjdjLIOR

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

At the same time, they remain all in on trying to restrict women's access to reproductive health and birth control. https://t.co/qYbOzhD4q7

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

And now, we learn they were fine with an alleged domestic abuser working next to the Oval Office as long as the press and public didn’t know about it. https://t.co/sQFitMYl2o

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

The WH press office and chief of staff John Kelly ignored credible allegations against this staffer until the very end. In fact, Kelly called him a man of “honor."

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

We have learned that Kelly has previously "appeared as a character witness in a 2016 court-martial of a Marine colonel accused of sexually harassing two female subordinates. Mr. Kelly praised the colonel as a 'superb Marine officer.'”https://t.co/qOl64Hy9fQ

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

The RNC, led by President Trump, called out Democrats for their association with the disgraced Harvey Weinstein. Democrats returned the donations and widely condemned his actions.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

It all goes back to the President himself. He has over a dozen credible allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him and has bragged, on video, about sexually assaulting women. https://t.co/4TiMMbMdXT

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

The President absolutely should be held accountable, and hearings should have already been conducted into these serious allegations. But the GOP Congress looks the other way in abdication of its responsibility to provide oversight.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

This isn’t normal. It isn’t acceptable. And in our families, our communities, and our workplaces we need to speak the message about the value of women in our words and our deeds.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

Our next chance at holding this President and the WH accountable comes on November 6, 2018, when we can flip the House and Senate and bring back some accountability.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018

Every day between now and then, let us organize, advocate, and fight to make sure women’s voices are heard and valued.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 9, 2018