Donald Trump, who has been charged with sexual assault by 16 women, allowed a known wife beater to serve as White House secretary for over a year. Two of Ron Porter's ex-wives and a girlfriend warned the FBI and the White House about his years of abusive behavior. Porter was unable to get a security clearance because of his past, but Trump allowed him to manage top-secret information on a daily basis.
No one in the White House acted on this information until his past appeared in the newspapers. Hope Hicks, Trump's communications director and Porter's current girlfriend, wrote a White House statement that lauded Porter's service. Chief of Staff John Kelly urged Porter to stay in his role. The White House told Senator Orrin Hatch that Porter was the victim of a smear engineered by Corey Lewandowski, former Trump campaign manager and Hope Hicks' former boyfriend. Today Trump spoke to reporters about Porter.
Trump said absolutely nothing about the three women who suffered abuse at the hands of Porter, noting instead that "this is a tough time" for Porter. Trump said absolutely nothing about ensuring a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault in the White House, instead noting that Porter is asserting his innocence. Trump today praised Porter for "an excellent job" and said that he hoped that Porter would go on "to have a wonderful career."