Twitter Drags Trump For Backing Porter: ‘Very Fine People on Both Sides Of The Vase In Ex-Wife’s Face’
You hate to see it, but you know it’s coming. Does that make it better or worse?
While you chew on that existential conundrum, here’s the latest: President Donald Trump talked to the press about Rob Porter — the outgoing WH aide who has been accused of domestic abuse by two of his ex-wives. And the president very much defended him.
I quote:
“It was very sad when we heard about it and certainly he’s also very sad. Now he also, as you probably know, he says he’s innocent, and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent so you’ll have to talk to him about that but we absolutely wish him well. Did a very good job while he was at the White House.”
Notice anything missing? The words “women” or “violence” or “victims,” perhaps?
This little oversight and the positive review of Porter did not go unnoticed by Twitter, and people ripped into the president for his remarks:
Dear @realDonaldTrump: A vase doesn’t magically hit Porter’s ex-wife by itself. You saw the photos. Also, domestic violence is a crime.
The statements you just made are very sad. https://t.co/DqISf4V350
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 9, 2018
Trump holds himself out as tough on crime. Aside from his attacks on the FBI, he has also: pardoned convict Joe Arpaio, defended white supremacists after a murder, campaigned for an accused sexual assaulter of children, and, now, expressed sympathy for an accused domestic abuser.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 9, 2018
Trump comments on Porter like those on Charlottesville, reveal his true biases…and the failure of those around him and supporting him in his party to call him out enable him and reveal their cravenness.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) February 9, 2018
Sensing a pattern pic.twitter.com/6Z5ZW1NAun
— Sam Stein (@samstein) February 9, 2018
Hey @realDonaldTrump, super-courageous statements about Porter today. You’re right — he’s going through a hard time and he needs our all our support. https://t.co/58Nw396SHe
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 9, 2018
I have been in prison interviewing a serial killer so help me: why did President Trump not even acknowledge the alleged victims in the #Porter #domesticviolence situation? Not even a nod to the woman with the black eye?
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) February 9, 2018
For Trump, who has insisted his own multiple accusers are lying, the default is always to point out someone’s denials https://t.co/OBHmb5HcLY
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 9, 2018
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes delivered the coup-de-grace:
What the president is trying to say is that there were very fine people on both sides of that vase that went into Rob Porter’s ex-wife’s face.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 9, 2018
