President Trump does not respond to questions from the press, including a question asking if he had a message to domestic violence victims pic.twitter.com/SHiwOsMEYs
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 13, 2018
President Trump didn’t respond Tuesday when asked by reporters if he had a message for victims of domestic violence as the White House continues to handle the fallout from abuse allegations against former top aide Rob Porter.
Reporters shouted questions to Trump as they were escorted from a roundtable Trump hosted with members of the National Sheriffs’ Association.
“Do you have a message for domestic violence victims?” one reporter asked as the saga extended into a seventh day.
It’s unclear if Trump heard the question being asked.
Trump didn’t answer but thanked reporters as they left the room.
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Trump also didn’t answer a similar question earlier Tuesday during a meeting with members of Congress on trade.
Porter resigned as staff secretary last week after he was accused of domestic abuse by both of his ex-wives, one of whom revealed photographs of herself with a black eye she said she received from Porter.
Porter has denied the allegations.
On Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a statement she said was dictated by Trump in which he declared his support for victims of domestic violence.
“The president and the entire administration take domestic violence very seriously and believe all allegations need to be investigated thoroughly,” the statement read. “Above all, the president supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone should be treated fairly and with due process.”
When asked Tuesday why Trump didn’t offer the statement himself, Sanders told reporters it was because he had dictated it to her.
“The president dictated to me specifically that comment yesterday, which I read out to you guys,” Sanders told reporters.
Trump praised Porter’s work last week, saying he hopes Porter has a “great career ahead of him.”
“He says he’s innocent, and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent. So you’ll have to talk to him about that. But we absolutely wish him well,” Trump said.
The president also took to Twitter Saturday to question a lack of “due process” after Porter and another White House aide resigned following abuse allegations.
“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,” Trump tweeted.
“There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”