One of President Trump's top aides—White House staff secretary Rob Porter—has resigned amid allegations of abuse against his ex-wives. The president has accepted his resignation, but his last day is not yet set, White House official says.
— Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) February 7, 2018
Breaking — Senior White House staffer Rob Porter to resign, @jdawsey1 reports https://t.co/16OQztSwba
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 7, 2018
No snark. There really is no bottom to the Trump Administration ethical trench.
…The official, Rob Porter, served as the staff secretary and often controlled the paper flow to President Trump’s desk, along with his daily schedule. Porter also oversaw the White House’s policy implementation process and worked closely with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to try to instill discipline in the chaotic West Wing. He spent hours of the day with Trump and frequently traveled with him on Air Force One.
Porter’s first wife, Colbie Holderness, said in an interview with DailyMail.com that he was abusive during their marriage. She alleged he punched in her the face during a trip to Florence in the early 2000s and provided photos to the publication showing her with a black eye.
“He was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive, and that is why I left,” she told the news outlet.
In a statement, Porter denied the allegations…
It remains unclear when Porter will officially leave…
Before Trump announces he never even met the guy:
— Zeddy (@Zeddary) February 7, 2018
White House officials were generally aware for months of the allegations made against Rob Porter, just not "all the gory details."https://t.co/Wimxj78adm
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 7, 2018
I think the translation of this is White House officials knew about Porter allegations "for months" but didn't know there were pictures. pic.twitter.com/yiG66cqdOj
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 7, 2018
Imagine if it had been discovered that President Obama’s staff secretary — or even President Bill Clinton’s — couldn’t get a security clearance, because of an outstanding restraining order for domestic abuse?
How was he ever hired to work in the White House? Ex-spouses are interviewed during background checks – somebody had to decide to ignore it. https://t.co/OyOfSgSbPe
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 7, 2018
I suppose it’s possible the White House never sends the President classified paperwork and thus it’s not an issue, which isn’t crazy with this team.
— Loren DeJonge Schulman (@LorenRaeDeJ) February 7, 2018
If the FBI is out to get Trump, you’d think this story comes out a lot sooner. https://t.co/DpMPlR2311
— Ryan J. Reilly ? (@ryanjreilly) February 7, 2018
eeesh, Jake goes on a bit of a tear here pic.twitter.com/RPZWtNEya0
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 7, 2018
Incidentally, turns out Porter was the mystery man at the back of this Internet-famous photo…
— Aaron Dunlap ?? (@aarond) February 7, 2018
Baud
Sadly, it’s not Trump…yet.
dmsilev
Don’t laugh. Trump has relocated his desk to the bathroom, and well, would _you_ want the job of regulating the paper flow?
Trentrunner
Fair enough, but voters?
They don’t care about this stuff.
The economy is strong, and if it stays strong, 2018 will not be the wave we hope for, and Trump will win again in 2020.
We are overlooking how much the GOP, the corporatists, the neocons, the Bible-thumpers and all the rest have lined up behind Trump. He’s at 40% now, and it will rise as their propaganda begins to work on the tax cuts.
If you thought Nov ’04 was painful, wait until 2018 and 2020.
We are not seeing how successful they are at working the refs, muddying the waters, and generally using every available lever of power to shore up Trump and the GOP generally at every level of government.
But we’ll always have academia and Hollywood, amirite?
Major Major Major Major
Here’s how Samwise feels about that other cat being on the cover of the calendar.
lamh36
REPOST: So @MSNBC and #ChuckTodd finally talking about Nancy Pelosi, but of course shapes as “Pelosi making history, and are the Republicans loving it?”. Yeah cause that is THE story FUQ the importance of her defending DACA & Dreamers
so the narrative he wants to set is its that the midterms is a “contest between 2 boogie men…” Trump be Pelosi?????? FUQ U Chuckles
I think she’ll stay until she makes it past the evening news mark
Someone on twitter said said La Blade (Stephanie Cutter) checked Chuckles in MTP for his Pelosi bullshit, i’m sorry I missed that.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
Reposted from below.
A piece on Kos says Nunes was on the Hewitt show speculating about calling John Roberts in to testify about FISA courts. I want to see this. Not as much as I want to see Sarah Huckabee Sanders in jail or Trump testifying to Mueller, but a lot.
Roger Moore
If some of those Stormy Daniels stories are true, it sounds as if Trump is the bottom. Does that mean Melanoma is a top?
FlipYrWhig
@Trentrunner: NORTHAM IS BLOWING IT AIIIIEEEEEEE
Citizen Alan
@Trentrunner:
Dammit, I apparently lost cookies somehow after my last Windows update and now I have to reenter Choadrunner into the pie filter.
Mnemosyne
Still no live feed of Nancy Pelosi’s continuing filibuster?
Baud
@FlipYrWhig: Heh
geg6
Much as it pains me to say it, I’m 100% with Tapper. Sickening. John Kelly is disgrace to the uniform and the nation. Adult in the room, my ass.
chris
Steve always comes to help when I make the bed and can be quite exasperating but nothing like this! After watching and laughing for a while I think there are nine little monsters.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
less than an hour ago
Hatch is, in the sententious lingo of the late Tim Russet, a man of faith
Mnemosyne
@Trentrunner:
It must be sad to live on your planet where Virginia and Alabama and Missouri never happened. It sounds like a much bleaker place than the one the rest of us live on, and this one can be pretty bleak.
WaterGirl
We want Nancy Smash!
Adam? Anyone? It’s been 7 hours, she deserves her own thread!
Corner Stone
Jeez, where can I apply for that job? Work four hours a day on Trump’s daily schedule? That’s money for nothing and apparently your Hicks for free.
trollhattan
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
USSC John Roberts, that John Roberts? How the fig does Nunes have the authoritah to do that?
OTOH if that’s the kind of backhand slap Roberts requires to get himself back to “umpire” status then perhaps there’s a benefit?
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Bentrunner:
Sorry, Bentrunner. Your opinion doesn’t matter after Virginia.
Fair Economist
@FlipYrWhig: Why not link to an actual post?
Marcopolo
@lamh36: Yeah, this will probably make me sound like an old killjoy but I would much much rather see a front page post with a livestream of Pelosi trying to shame Ryan into an open DACA vote and speaking now into an eighth hour than read another thread about how deplorable the Trump admin and all its lackeys are—which we all know. Proud of my party!
TenguPhule
@Trentrunner:
Fact increasingly not in evidence.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Trentrunner:
30 pt swing blue in Missouri yesterday. So I suppose it does matter.
Fair Economist
THREAD FOR NANCY! THREAD FOR NANCY!
Seriously, *way* more important news than the info that another Trump employee resigned for wife abuse. That’s almost a “dog bites man” story. What do you expect? Their boss did it too.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: So Hatch’s point is what? She had it coming?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Marcopolo: Here, here. To be perfectly honest it’s not surprise and I doubt if this clown is the only wife beater in the Trump admin. They all have no pride or class.
Bobby Thomson
Unfortunately, not without precedent.
TenguPhule
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
To be fair, it was a 3 point win. So easy come, easy go.
Some voters are fucking fickle.
Ladyraxterinok
WH reaction: What’s the big deal? Porter didn’t abuse REAL people. They’re only women, claiming to be victims so they can get money and publicity.
I just don’t understand how any women can ignore the contempt and disgust T feels for all women.
He’s not in the Nazi Kinder, Kueche, Kirche camp. Like some despicable 60s guys, T thinks ‘the only position for women (in the movement) is prone.’
trollhattan
Trump Boys Forge Father’s Signature On Letters They Wrote Excusing Them From Any More Testifying.
—Onion, of course.
TenguPhule
@trollhattan:
You can never be too sure these days.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Any calls gone out to call R members of Congress during this speech? Asking them to support a floor vote on DACA?
Bobby Thomson
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: how horrible for Porter to have the public learn that he savagely beats women. I’ll light a candle.
schrodingers_cat
Marine General Kelly is running a very tight ship. Great job!
zhena gogolia
@geg6:
Tapper doesn’t bother me as much as the others. I give him a pass since he once showed up in the comments here.
Timurid
@Trentrunner:
Good grief. How many times did you nut while you where typing that?
hueyplong
Not sure this is the week to brag about the strength of the economy.
After all, we’ve had an entire year of being told that the Dow is in fact the measure of its strength/weakness, and unlike Trentrunner, we can tell whether one number is larger than another.
Sherparick
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: He. Has. Always. Been. A. Asshole.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF “Believe us or believe your lying eyes.
With this administration, someone is is resigning or lawyering up every week.
Yutsano
@geg6: Tapper on occasion gets things right. He’s still scum of the Village at the end of the day but every now and again he’s pretty good.
But is he saying anything about Nonna Pelosi?
@zhena gogolia: I think he still lurks here. Maybe. Plus he took our abuse and jabs in the comments well. It wouldn’t bug me if he came back.
Mary G
@Fair Economist: @WaterGirl: Yes, thread for Nancy Smash! Now more than eight hours standing in heels reading Dreamers’ stories.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
God doesn’t love me that much.
Cacti
@trollhattan:
No, Congress can’t subpoena a sitting SCOTUS Justice.
Co-equal branches and all.
schrodingers_cat
It is sad when the vetting process for an immigrant visa aka the Green Card is more thorough than that required to work at the WH.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: Well, he was a Marine General, all ships do is transport Marines; he probably doesn’t have much practice in running ships. //
Cacti
@schrodingers_cat:
Or for buying a gun.
WaterGirl
@Mary G: I could not stand that long, and I certainly couldn’t do it in heels. Not to mention – bathroom!
randy khan
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
That would be funny. I hope they televise it if it happens.
Patricia Kayden
@Trentrunner: Can we be optimistic given electoral victories in Missouri last night and Virginia and Alabama? I’m not ready to throw in the towel on November or 2020. Democrats are capable of fighting and winning.
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Should has got himself an admiral. Was Flynn a naval guy? I can’t keep all these uniformed folks straight.
Patricia Kayden
@geg6: Kelly was never the adult in any room. His behavior as Secretary of DHS should have proven that.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@WaterGirl:
One word…Depends.
lamh36
I dont blame this young man one damn bit. Why should he meet with someone who, outside of his athletic abilty, thinks the life this young man leads is an abominabtion in need of “treatment”…FUQ Mike Pence!
Fair Economist
And now Nancy has finished. Can’t blame her, I could never have stood and talked continuously for 8 hours at any age. She is amazing.
NorthLeft12
I found that photo interesting in that the three people who were “humiliatingly fired” committed the sin of incompetence or being a political liability, while the two guys who resigned after much delay were only guilty of violence towards women.
Go figure.
JustRuss
And the Winning continues….
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: Flynn was Army, the guy who did the physical was Navy.
jimmiraybob
Wasn’t Porter and Hope Hicks an item back in the day?
Patricia Kayden
@Timurid: Lol!! For real though. Believing that Democrats have already lost 2020 is a little bizarre.
randy khan
Sarah Huckabee Sanders tomorrow: “He was just a secretary. It’s not like he did anything important.”
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Fair Economist: Obviously we need to get rid of her.
Patricia Kayden
@Fair Economist: Democratic women are tough! That State Senator in Texas was amazing too. Her name escapes me just now.
GregB
Israeli police recommend charges for Netanyahu.
Roger Moore
@schrodingers_cat:
I don’t know what you’re talking about. The vetting under the Trump administration is exactly the same:
1) Are you white?
If you answer yes, you’re good. If you answer no, you’d better know somebody or pay somebody off.
Fair Economist
Just a thought on how much evil is involved in deporting the Dreamers. There are about 800,000. If you spent just one minute on each one’s story, and spoke constantly day and night, 24/7 you’d have to talk for –
1 and a half YEARS.
Nancy reminded us of that today.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@randy khan: Heh, so sez the White House Press Secretary.
Patricia Kayden
@Roger Moore: Melania probably hasn’t slept with Trump since Baron’s birth. They’re not in love.
Fair Economist
@Patricia Kayden:
Wendy Davis.
Cacti
@lamh36:
There is no middle ground with someone who doesn’t think you’re fully human.
JMG
Anyone who thinks they know what’ll happen in November is wrong. But Democrats have a number of reasons to be optimistic and Republicans only one, although a decent economy is a good reason. But like most reasons, it does not have an indefinite shelf life. Had there been a national election in September 1929, Republicans would’ve won. By November not so much.
One reason won’t change in the next nine months. Trump will still be a horrible person.
Patricia Kayden
@GregB: Good!! Can’t stand him. May his being charged be a precursor for Trump getting the same treatment once Mueller wraps up his investigation.
lamh36
@zhena gogolia: I remember that…he’s no Chuckles Todd…but still can’t stand him
Patricia Kayden
@Fair Economist: Yes!! She was phenomenal.
Corner Stone
Good God. Speaking of venality, why in the F is MSNBC giving airtime to the crazy ass Stephanie Hamill?
Felanius Kootea
@Trentrunner: The majority of voters didn’t vote for #45 and enough of the voters who didn’t vote at all in the states that tipped the election over to him have been awakened that we are seeing Democratic gains in blood-red district special elections. But you already knew that. So know this: no one is going to get discouraged from voting in November or donating to Blue candidates based on your always pessimistic blog comments. The stakes are too high. Nice try though.
Roger Moore
@Patricia Kayden:
I think you’re talking about Wendy Davis.
Corner Stone
@?BillinGlendaleCA: It depends on what?
cain
@lamh36:
Actually he should have and given that prick a piece of his mind afterwards or before.
Amaranthine RBG
Best part of that photo is that one of the disgraced (Lewandowski) is in active talks to return and Scaramucci is sniffing around trying to get back in, too by popping up on the teevee defending Trump.
So not only did they choose incompetent, unqualified people and have to fire them. They are going to start recycling them, too. (See also Jason Miller …)
schrodingers_cat
@Roger Moore: I know that this is the CW but it is not true. Most people have no fucking clue how hard getting a GC is/was for any person of any color. And this is before the malevolence of current admin.
Gvg
Is John Kelly or Hatch married? We need to check on their wives.
Mike in DC
Turnover closing in on 40%. Probably 50+ by year end. Maybe 60 by the time Mueller’s referral goes to House Judiciary next year.
TenguPhule
@schrodingers_cat: Snark Detector batteries need changing.
Roger Moore
@Amaranthine RBG:
This shouldn’t be a big surprise. As I (and numerous other posters here) have pointed out, the people Trump started with were the best he could get. When they leave, the replacements are going to be even worse. The only way around that is to bring back some of the people who left.
TenguPhule
@schrodingers_cat:
To be fair, if we’d had more stringent vetting awhile back, Trump’s ancestors would never have made it here. //
cain
They will also be less and less competent and more ideological and harder to control.
Mnemosyne
@cain:
Maybe while wearing a t-shirt with a giant “Silence=Death” slogan on it? Or, “I’m not gay, but my husband is”?
After Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in their infamous duel, Burr went on a long tour of Europe in the time-honored way to avoid legal consequences for killing someone in a duel. While in France, Burr stopped in to call on Talleyrand, who had been a friend of Hamilton’s when Talleyrand was exiled in America.
Talleyrand’s secretary came out and said, “Monsieur is welcome to visit, but he should know that M. Talleyrand keeps a large portrait of General Hamilton on the wall of his office.”
Burr decided to skip the visit. ?
hellslittlestangel
From the security check interview:
Q: Did your ex-husband ever beat you?
A: Yes, several times. He was also emotionally abusive.
Q: Uh-huh. What did you do to provoke this?
MomSense
The. Best. People.
Mnemosyne
@Gvg:
Kelly is married, but I’m convinced he’s sleeping with the new head of DHS. Pass it on.
SgrAstar
@lamh36: wow! Good for Adam Rippon.
lamh36
@cain: he’s already gave him a piece of his mind. In an interview months ago…
Jerry
It gets better – Dana Bash just dropped (to the ‘did she just break omerta?’ silence of the co-panelists) that Porter is *currently* ‘dating’ Hope Hicks.
There isn’t enough popcorn…
lamh36
@cain: Besides, he and we know, it’s all about a photo-op for Pence
evodevo
@hellslittlestangel: You joke, but this is pretty standard fare in talibangelical land. No Kidding…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Jerry: it’s more than a social relationship
randy khan
@hellslittlestangel:
Having had the pleasure of discussing someone seeking a security clearance with the FBI, I would say it’s a safe bet that’s not how it would proceed. They are looking for potential problems for the person who wants to be cleared, not trying to justify giving the clearance. (I had to keep reminding myself during the interview not to give flip responses to what seemed like stupid questions because they were deadly serious about them.)
Roger Moore
@cain:
My gut feeling is the replacements will be chosen more and more for loyalty to Trump over any other consideration. At the beginning, Pence still had a substantial say, so you got some traditional Republican hacks like Chao and Perry. Now, though, Trump isn’t going to ask Pence’s advice about anyone. He’s going to do the choosing himself, and all available evidence says he’s going to pick people willing to swear an oath of fealty. That tendency is only going to be exaggerated by the siege mentality brought on by the Mueller investigation; Trump will want people willing to do anything, even at terrible personal price, to protect him.
Davebo
Fighting through issues is what got him in trouble Orrin.
Davebo
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I got it from the same tweet and totally stole Old Rant Dump’s response!
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@NorthLeft12:
That photo is a study in arrogance, pride, and (with apologies to douches everywhere), douchery. The Mooch, in particular, looks like such a putz.
Magda in Black
@Corner Stone:
Nice! ☺️
wjs
The Lautenberg Amendment (Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban) comes up for discussion among gun nuts all the time. It bans domestic abusers from owning guns, and this jackhole Porter is a case study as to why this law is critical. This guy shouldn’t have gotten a job in the White House.
How much do you want to bet The Lautenberg Amendment gets repealed before the GOP loses control of Congress this fall?
Every time someone Trump knows is caught doing something evil, there’s a compensatory, ‘eff you’ move orchestrated behind the scenes to signal the base that, “yeah, our guy was a wife beater, but we’re repealing the ban on wife beaters owning guns because we’re psychopaths, just like y’all.”