Trump is reportedly blaming Hope Hicks for the Rob Porter scandal


President Trump is reportedly blaming his communications director, Hope Hicks, for the unfolding scandal involving former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who resigned this week after being credibly accused of abuse by two of his ex-wives. Trump is "increasingly frustrated" with Hicks for a "myriad of reasons," CNN's Kaitlan Collins reported Friday, including that he was allegedly "not consulted when Hicks and several other top aides ... at the White House drafted that first statement initially that defended Rob Porter."
"Secondly," Collins said, "the president feels that Hope Hicks has allowed her romantic relationship with Porter to really cloud her judgment and her decision-making here."
The report caught many by surprise, especially since Chief of Staff John Kelly was the one to hire Porter. Kelly additionally did not fire Porter after learning he was not going to be given security clearance, Politico reports. Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told Fox News on Friday: "The general is there to put in policies and processes and procedures, and in this case those didn't work and we need to find out why."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch the segment below. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants