White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday morning that President Donald Trump has “full confidence” in both his chief of staff John Kelly and communications director Hope Hicks, in wake of the domestic violence scandal surrounding former White House staff secretary Rob Porter. However, Conway also noted in a separate interview that she has “no reason not to believe” the ex-wives of Porter who have alleged physical and emotional abuse.
“In this case, you have contemporaneous police reports, you have women speaking to the FBI under threat of perjury … you have photographs, and when you look at all of that pulled together, Rob Porter did the right thing by resigning,” Conway told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. “I have no reason not to believe the women.”
Kellyanne Conway: "I have no reason not to believe the women" who have accused Rob Porter of domestic abuse #CNNSOTU https://t.co/EAyud8OvEV
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 11, 2018
Porter resigned from the White House on Wednesday after allegations surfaced that he physically beat and emotionally abused his two ex-wives from years prior, though he has denied any and all wrongdoing. But senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration have come under serious scrutiny after it was reported that they knew of Porter’s past and did nothing about it.
Porter has since reportedly told associates that he was told to “stay and fight” and said he “never misrepresented anything” about his past to Kelly.
In another interview, Conway appeared on ABC’s “This Week,” in which she told host George Stephanopoulos that the president still believed Kelly and Hicks were suited to fulfill their duties. It was reported that Kelly told Trump in recent days that he was willing to resign over the scandal.
White House Counselor to the President @KellyannePolls tells @GStephanopoulos she spoke with Pres. Trump last night and “he has full confidence in his current chief of staff, General John Kelly…he also has full confidence in Hope Hicks, his communications director.” #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/hMsIHWgFUf
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 11, 2018
“I spoke with the president last night about this very issue and he wanted me to reemphasize to everyone, including this morning, that he has full confidence in his current chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, and that he is not actively searching for replacements,” Conway said. “He also has full confidence in Hope Hicks, his communications director and long-serving aide.”
She continued, “There are a lot of, I think, unsourced and thinly-sourced stories out there, but when it comes to those two individuals, the president … has full confidence in their performance.”
When asked if Kelly knew about the domestic abuse allegation, Conway said that he has “said otherwise” but that Stephanopoulos should ask him instead.
Did chief of staff John Kelly know about the domestic abuse allegations against Rob Porter for several months? @KellyannePolls tells @GStephanopoulos “General Kelly has said otherwise, and you would have to ask him the question squarely.” #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/lRqFwIgv5P
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 11, 2018
Conway also said the president was “disturbed” by the Porter story, but Trump defended Porter in his first public remarks about the incident and wished him well.
“Well, we wish him well. He [Porter] worked very hard. I found out about it recently and I was surprised by it,” Trump said, as Salon has previously reported. “But we certainly wish him well, it’s obviously a tough time for him.” He had nothing to say about Porter’s ex-wives, however.
Does Pres. Trump believe Rob Porter was falsely accused of domestic abuse? White House Counselor to the President @KellyannePolls says he believes "you have to consider all sides. He has said this in the past about incidents that relate to him as well." #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/kPZSf88SJl
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 11, 2018
Trump also sent a cryptic tweet on Saturday in which he questioned “due process” in the United States and said that careers have been “shattered” over “a mere allegation.”
Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018
The irony is that Conway has insisted Trump remains confident in Hicks and Kelly, despite their roles in attempting to come to Porter’s defense, and in Kelly’s case, not taking action in months prior. Conway said this, of course, at the same time she said that she believes the ex-wives of Porter.
Meanwhile, budget director Mick Mulvaney said on Sunday that Trump and Kelly simply just gave Porter “the benefit of the doubt.”
.@MickMulvaneyOMB on allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter:
For @POTUS and CoS to give Porter benefit of the doubt is a normal reaction until it was proven Porter wasn’t telling the truth, he was gone almost immediately.— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) February 11, 2018
