Trump reportedly wishes Rob Porter, ex-aide accused of domestic abuse, could return to the White House

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last updated 27 March 2018

It's been more than a month since Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary, stepped down from the position after his ex-wives publicly accused him of domestic abuse, and the distance is getting to President Trump, The New York Times reports.

Trump and Porter are regularly in touch by phone, three people familiar with their conversations told the Times, and the frequency of the calls is increasing as more and more people leave the White House. They've discussed trade and exemptions to tariffs, the Times says, and Trump has told advisers that he knows it's unlikely he'd be able to bring back Porter, but misses the structure and order that Porter imposed.

Porter's former wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, have both accused Porter of physical and emotional abuse, and Holderness shared a photo of a black eye she says Porter gave her; he has denied the allegations. Trump has reportedly told people he believes Porter was a scapegoat for critics who really want to attack him, and he blames Chief of Staff John Kelly for botching Porter's exit. Read more about Trump's relationship with Porter at The New York Times.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.