Donald Trump Regularly Contacts Accused Domestic Abuser Rob Porter, And Hopes To Rehire Him

Former White House staff secretary Rob Porter might have left the White House in scandal, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still in touch with Donald Trump. Rob Porter was fired from his position in the White House after it was made public that he could not get the top secret clearance required to do the job. The Rob Porter firing was complicated by the fact that Chief of Staff John Kelly and others knew that Rob Porter had been accused of several events of domestic violence in his past.

The New York Times revealed that Donald Trump continues to make several calls a week to Rob Porter, and hopes to bring him back to the White House at some point in a new position. The calls from Trump to Porter have increased with the level of people departing from the administration, as if Trump is seeking familiarity. Donald Trump expressed that he was sorry to see Porter go after the domestic abuse allegations surfaced.

Donald Trump Is Still In Contact With Accused Abuser Rob Porter

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times says that just because Rob Porter was fired doesn’t mean that Trump feels differently about him, and in fact, because Trump believes that Rob Porter got a raw deal publicly and in the press, he is almost defensive of Porter.

“In Mr. Trump’s orbit, few people are ever permanently exiled. He often sees aides who are subject to public criticism as extensions of himself, coming under fire because critics want to attack him, and he has described the Porter situation in those terms to some people, those briefed on the discussions said.”

Trump Seeks Advice From Porter, And Reportedly Would Like Him To Return

Trump has told advisers that he knows he probably can’t bring back Rob Porter to the White House, but he misses the structure that Porter provided. But a White House source says that Trump still seeks the advice of Rob Porter.

“It was not immediately clear how many conversations Mr. Porter has had with the president since leaving, but one person familiar with the discussions said they have talked about trade and how to navigate granting exemptions to the tariffs Mr. Trump announced last week.”

But while there is nothing illegal about Donald Trump keeping in touch with Rob Porter, Porter’s ex-wife, Jennie Willoughby, who alleges that Porter abused her, says it shows a disrespect to victims of domestic abuse, says Newsweek.

But Willoughby believes from the point of view of the Trump White House, maybe Porter can now get a security clearance because his reported history of abuse and the restraining orders granted to his accusers are now out in the open.

The Former Wives Of Rob Porter Are Disappointed By The Way Trump Reacted

“I’m not surprised. No one can blackmail Rob now because people know he’s abusive. It seems like, from the White House’s point of view, maybe he deserves to have a job again if he’s not a security threat.”

When Porter was dismissed from the White House, Donald Trump praised him, saying that Porter says he is innocent, hinting that he believed Porter’s claim. Jennie Willoughby said that this set a bad example of how businesses should deal with the subject of domestic violence.

“The White House is setting an example for how companies will address domestic abuse, how families will address domestic abuse, how our country and even other countries will address it,” Willoughby said Thursday. “It’s showing that someone who is known to be abusive will still be revered and valued in his job. We’re showing that the United States doesn’t address domestic abuse.”