Top Trump aide resigns after reports he abused his ex-wives

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 7 February 2018

Senior White House aide Rob Porter has resigned after his ex-wives told The Intercept that he physically abused them, The New York Times reports. The FBI was first made aware of the women's claims last year during interviews with them as part of Porter's background check.

"He only punched me once, in the eye," said Porter's first wife, Colbie Holderness. "He threw me down on the bed and punched me in the face." Holderness also shared photos she said were taken after the incident and that appear to show her with a black eye. "Up until then, he had always done it in a way that didn't leave marks," she said.

Porter's second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, had previously blogged about an abusive relationship, although she did not use Porter's name. She confirmed she was writing about her ex-husband to The Intercept: "The first time he called me a 'f--king b---h' was on our honeymoon," Willoughby wrote on her blog. "A month later he physically prevented me from leaving the house. Less than two months after that, I filed a protective order with the police because he punched in the glass on our front door while I was locked inside."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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