Trump has confidence in Kelly, aide says

“Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?” the president asked.

Top White House aides on Sunday countered criticism over the Trump administration’s handling of allegations that White House staff secretary Rob Porter abused his ex-wives. White House officials have also given contrasting answers as to whether the situation was handled properly.

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway said President Donald Trump still has “full confidence” in his chief of staff and his communications director.

The president’s tweet Saturday came a day after he set off a firestorm when he wished Porter well in his future endeavors and made no mention of his alleged victims.

Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah acknowledged last week that senior White House officials knew about the abuse allegations against Porter for months, but allowed him to stay on in his role handling sensitive White House documents anyway.

“I think the president’s shaped by a lot of false accusations against him in the past”, said legislative director Marc Short, who added that Trump was “very disappointed” by the charges against Porter.

In December, Trump defended Senate hopeful Roy Moore, who had been accused of having inappropriate sexual relationships with teenagers when he was an adult.

“He totally denies it”, Trump said of Moore, even as other Republican leaders called for Moore to step aside. “He says it didn’t happen”. Moore, you may remember, gave a very weak half-denial of numerous claims against him in a disastrous interview with Sean Hannity and ultimately lost the election.

Mulvaney called the White House response completely reasonable and normal. A background check for security clearance was in progress at the time of his resignation.

On Monday morning, Fox & Friends’ Ainsley Earhardt closed an interview with White House spokesman Hogan Gidley by begging him to urge President Trump to speak out more forcefully against domestic violence.

“He has not said it”, the correspondent pressed.

Mulvaney told a number of whoppers in those few seconds, most egregiously that the White House “dismissed” Porter “immediately” after the photographs were published. Sorensen worked for the Council on Environmental Quality, which is part of the Executive Office of the President. Sources stressed that Mr. Trump would likely not have had any knowledge of the details of Porter’s personal history, which includes accusations by two ex-wives Porter physically and emotionally abused them. He said he worries about the ramifications such claims have on someone’s career. He said talk of Kelly’s departure is “much ado about nothing”.

The FBI also provided its initial findings regarding Porter to the White House over the summer and McGahn also was reportedly told by Porter’s ex-girlfriend in November about the accusations by his ex-wives. The Daily Mail article reportedly read by Trump contains details of Porter’s violence towards his ex-wife, and other women have since come forward.