Trump defends a wife beater

It's not the first time either No Images? Click here       By Emily Peck For Trump, Believe Men Is The Motto President Donald Trump spoke Friday for the first time about now former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who has been accused by two women of physical abuse. One of his ex-wives even shared the below photo, tweeted by The Intercept's Ryan Grim, taken after Porter punched her in the face, leaving her with a black eye. The White House and the FBI knew about these allegations. Indeed, Porter couldn't get a security clearance because of them. Yet he remained in his job until this week after the story was brought to light by the Daily Mail and The Intercept. Even as these allegations were surfacing, powerful politicians leapt to Porter's defense. White House chief of staff John Kelly called Porter "a man of true integrity and honor." It's important to remember that domestic violence -- a spouse beating a spouse -- is not a private matter, as the White House's casual treatment seems to imply. It's a crime. On Friday, Trump offered Porter his best wishes and emphasized that his former staffer claims to be innocent. (Not quite, actually. Porter admits that the above photo of his ex is real. “I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago," he said. "The reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described.”) "We hope he has a wonderful career," the president said. "It was very sad when we heard about it, and certainly he's also very sad now." In other words: Sad! For the guy who beat his wives.   This isn't the first time Trump has rushed to defend a man accused of abusing a woman, HuffPost's Amanda Terkel writes. READ MORE Usually you get this email on Wednesday, but astute readers might realize that it is Friday. So sorry! I was out in L.A. at the Makers Conference. Read my coverage here and here. If you love getting these emails, please use this special link -- that belongs only to you -- to share with a friend!       Here's what else you need to know Trump’s Super Bowl Party Features Scantily Clad Cheerleaders Ugh, Quentin Tarantino Defends Rapist Former OJ Prosecutor Marcia Clark Reflects On The Sexist Way She Was Treated Back In The Day (I wrote this one!)     The reality of being a woman — by the numbers. Like what you see? Share it with a friend. Did someone forward this email? Subscribe here. Can't get enough? Check out The Good Life. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe