On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed the controversy surrounding Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary accused of domestic violence. Porter resigned last Wednesday after the allegations against him were detailed by his two ex-wives to the Daily Mail and The Intercept. The White House initially defended him against the reports, only to backtrack once The Intercept published graphic photos of one of the women with a black eye — images Porter admitted taking.
In the aftermath of the allegations and Porter's departure, President Trump himself reminded reporters Friday that Porter "says he's innocent." He also tweeted Saturday that "lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation."
Reading from prepared remarks Monday, Sanders insisted that Trump "supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with due process." The press corps was not placated that easily, as ABC News' Cecilia Vega asked why Trump hadn't made any statement supporting the victims. "Why doesn't the president say exactly what you just said right there?" Vega asked. Sanders maintained that she was "relaying" Trump's words as dictated to her.
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.
Vega pressed Sanders, asking, "Does [Trump] believe Rob Porter's accusers, or are they lying?" Sanders repeated that "the president … [takes] domestic violence very seriously" and is also a firm believer in "due process." When Vega pointed out that Sanders hadn't answered her question, Sanders replied, "I'm not going to go beyond that."
Watch the exchange below. Kelly O'Meara Morales
-
Political cartoons for November 1Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include insurance premiums, early voting in NYC, and more
-
Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
-
Meet Ireland’s new socialist presidentIn the Spotlight Landslide victory of former barrister and ‘outsider’ Catherine Connolly could ‘mark a turning point’ in anti-establishment politics
-
France makes first arrests in Louvre jewels heistSpeed Read Two suspects were arrested in connection with the daytime theft of royal jewels from the museum
-
Trump pardons crypto titan who enriched familySpeed Read Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from LouvreSpeed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 yearsSpeed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Firespeed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan churchSpeed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
