Thread: Jennie Willoughby: 'President Trump Will Not Diminish My Truth'

Jennie Willoughby: 'President Trump Will Not Diminish My Truth'

By Jennie Willoughby 12:41 PM EST

On Friday, a friend and I watched as the President of the United States sat in the Oval Office and praised the work of my ex-husband, Rob Porter, and wished him future success. I can’t say I was surprised. But when Donald Trump repeated twice that Rob declared his innocence, I was floored. What was his intent in emphasizing that point? My friend turned to me and said, “The President of the United States just called you a liar.”

Yes. And so he did.

On Saturday morning, following the overnight resignation of another White House staffer after his ex-wife came forward with her story of abuse, the President Tweeted:

There it is again. The words “mere allegation” and “falsely accused” meant to imply that I am a liar. That Colbie Holderness is a liar. That the work Rob was doing in the White House was of higher value than our mental, emotional or physical wellbeing. That his professional contributions are worth more than the truth. That abuse is something to be questioned and doubted.

Everyone wants to talk about how the White House and former colleagues defended Rob. Of course they did! They valued and respected him. The truth would be dissonant to everything they believed to be true about the man they knew. The truth would be devastating. And denial is easier than devastation.

Everyone wants to talk about how Trump implied I am a not to be believed. As if Trump is the model of kindness and forgiveness. As if he readily acknowledges his own shortcomings and shows empathy and concern for others. I forgive him. Thankfully, my strength and worth are not dependent on outside belief — the truth exists whether the President accepts it or not.

I think the issue here is deeper than whether Trump, or General John Kelly, or Sarah Huckabee Sanders, or Senator Orrin Hatch, or Hope Hicks, or whether anyone else believes me or defends Rob. Society as a whole has a fear of addressing our worst secrets. (Just ask any African-American citizen). It’s as if we have a societal blind spot that creates an obstacle to understanding. Society as a whole doesn’t acknowledge the reality of abuse.

The tendency to avoid, deny, or cover up abuse is never really about power, or money, or an old boys’ club. It is deeper than that. Rather than embarrass an abuser, society is subconsciously trained to question a victim of abuse. I would call it an ignorant denial based on the residual, puritan, collective agreement that abuse is uncomfortable to talk about.

Amidst the recent rash of sexual assault revelations born of the #MeToo movement, even I found myself questioning the accuser. I almost allowed my societal conditioning to override what my heart knows to be true: Abuse is scary and demoralizing and degrading. It chisels away at your self-esteem and self-worth until you are unsure whether your version of reality is valid or not.

If someone finds the strength and courage to come forward, he or she is to be believed. Because that declaration only came after an uphill battle toward rebirth.

Ultimately, this is not a political issue. This is a societal issue, and the tone has just been reset by the White House. If the most powerful people in the nation do not believe my story of abuse in the face of overwhelming evidence, then what hope do others have of being heard?

We are at a critical moment in history and there are three things I know to be true:

Where there is anger, there is underlying pain.

Where there is denial, there is underlying fear.

Where there is abuse, there is cover-up.

While I may have compassion for my ex-husband and recognize his need for help, I do not tolerate abuse. While I may understand President Trump and Gen. Kelly’s incredulity at such a counter-image of their golden boy, I do not condone their choice to support him.

In light of the President’s and the White House’s continued dismissal of me and Colbie, I want to assure you my truth has not been diminished. I own my story and now that I have been compelled to share it, I’m not willing to cover it up for anyone. And for any men, women, or children currently in situations of abuse, please know:

It is real.
You are not crazy.
You are not alone.
I believe you.

http://time.com/5143589/rob-porter-e...stic-violence/

No Jennie, the President is not calling you a liar. He's pointing out that our system defers to two sides before condemnation. It's an important element of our country, called due process. Yes, we've heard your side, but until we hear Mr. Porter's side, no conclusion, condemnation or punishment can or should be occurring. Yes, when such things due to press coverage become issues for a White House or any employer, resignations and even firings are appropriate, but unfair if the person is innocent or if the stories are distorted in some way.

But I expect that if Rob Porter was working as a regional manager for McDonald's instead of in the White House for President Trump, we would not be hearing about your story, just as we didn't hear about it when he was working for Orin Hatch. You can think we're stupid, but we are not as stupid as you have convinced yourself we are.

Also, we have Americans being butchered, gunned down, tortured and set on fire by illegal aliens. We have a nuclear armed North Korea who wants to take US out. We have an Iran armed with $150 billion in cash funding terrorism. We have a Pope who wants one world government to rule the US "for our own good". We have communities from coast to coast filled with black Americans whose situation is so dire they can't walk down the street to the grocery store without high risk of being shot and killed.

I'm sorry if Mr. Porter broke the glass in your apartment door, although I've never known an apartment door that had glass in it. Not very secure in my opinion. I'm sorry if Mr. Porter pulled you out of a shower to continue an argument. I'm sorry if Mr. Porter hit his first wife and blackened her eye. Sounds like you all did the right thing by getting your divorces.

You've cost the man his job. You've tried to discredit a Presidency. Porter has resigned. It's history now. And your 15 minutes of fame are over.

Someone needs to explain to Trump that his controversial comments are nothing but a distraction. He needs to concentrate on the country's business and let his minions take care of the small stuff.

When I found this article, I asked "who is Jennie Willoughby?" It was over before it started. And if should be noted that Jennie Willoughby is a "Motivational Speaker", apparently this is how she earns a living now.