Trump says lives being destroyed by 'a mere allegation' after staffers resign over domestic abuse claims

By Adam Shaw | Fox News
36 mins ago

President Trump appeared to weigh in on the resignation of two White House staffers accused of domestic abuse Saturday, bemoaning that lives are being destroyed by “a mere allegation.”

“Peoples [sic] lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new,” he tweeted. “There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”

It was not immediately clear the accusations to which Trump was referring, but it came on the heels of the resignations of two White House aides, staff secretary Rob Porter and speechwriter David Sorensen, over domestic abuse allegations against them.

Porter resigned Wednesday after being accused of abusing two ex-wives. Sorensen resigned Friday over allegations he had been violently and emotionally abusive to his ex-wife during their marriage. Both men deny the allegations against them.

The White House initially offered a staunch defense of Porter when the allegations emerged against him on Tuesday night. But within 24 hours, as images emerged of one of Porter’s ex-wives with a black eye and questions were raised about what Chief of Staff John Kelly knew about the allegations and when, Porter resigned.

Kelly sent an email to White House staff on Thursday making clear that the White House had a clear stance on domestic abuse.

Ed Henry reports on the White House chief of staff's message and Sen. Mark Warner's extensive contact with a lobbyist for a Russian linked to organized crime.

“While we are all processing the shocking and troubling allegations made against a former White House staffer, I want you to know that we all take matters of domestic violence very seriously. Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in our society,” Kelly wrote in the letter.

Trump was asked about the Porter case on Friday and told reporters “it was very sad when we heard about it.” He added that Porter said he was innocent.

"He said very strongly yesterday that he's innocent so you have to talk to him about that, but we absolutely wish him well, he did a very good job when he was at the White House," he said.

It is not the first time Trump has been dismissive of allegations against staff and political allies. In November he voiced support for GOP Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who had been accused of sexual misconduct against teenagers.

“He totally denies, he says it didn’t happen,” Trump told reporters. “You have to listen to him, also.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...se-claims.html