President Donald Trump defended his former aide Rob Porter on Friday following accusations that he physically abused his ex-wives, calling his departure “very sad” and that “we hope that he will have a wonderful career.”
Porter left his White House job on Thursday after two of his ex-wives detailed to news outlets alleged physical abuse they suffered. One of them, the Intercept, published a photo showing one of the women with a black eye that she said she was from being hit by Porter.
Porter, who either resigned from his position of coordinating the flow of documents to Trump or was fired, depending on whose telling the story, has denied the claims, saying, “These outrageous allegations are simply false.”
When asked about Porter’s departure, Trump expressed sympathy for Porter while failing to mention the women he allegedly abused, CNN reports.
“We certainly wish him well,” Trump told reporters in the White House. “It’s obviously a very tough time for him. He did a very good job while he was in the White House.”
Trump explained his support by pointing to Porter’s own claims of innocence, apparently dismissing both the allegations by the two women, the photograph, and the fact that one of them had received a temporary retraining order against Porter.
“He says he’s innocent, and I think you have to remember that,” Trump said.