“My friend turned to me and said, ‘the President of the United States just called you a liar.’ Yes. And so he did," Jennifer Willoughby, Rob Porter’s second wife, wrote in an op-ed for Time magazine. | POLITICO screen shot from TODAY video Rob Porter's ex-wife says she 'was floored' by Trump's response

The ex-wife of a former Trump administration official accused of domestic violence wrote that she was “floored” when President Donald Trump seemingly implied she made up the allegations, lamenting that the president’s response would ripple through society’s understanding of abuse and discourage other victims from coming forward.

Former White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned last week after accusations of abuse from two of his ex-wives surfaced, including photographs of his first wife with a black eye allegedly caused by Porter. Porter denied the accusations but nonetheless offered his resignation. Trump, in an encounter with reporters days later, praised Porter and emphasized his claims of innocence without any mention of his alleged victims.


“When Donald Trump repeated twice that Rob declared his innocence, I was floored. What was his intent in emphasizing that point?” Jennifer Willoughby, Porter’s second wife, wrote in an op-ed for Time magazine published over the weekend. “My friend turned to me and said, ‘the president of the United States just called you a liar.’ Yes. And so he did.”

Hogan Gidley, a White House deputy press secretary, said Monday on Fox & Friends that "the president has been out against domestic violence for a long time" and that "the president deplores, thinks that domestic violence is grotesque. He's said that on multiple occasions and there's no place for it in this country. There's no place for it in this White House, and the president won't stand for it."

The allegations against Porter come amid a larger national reckoning for men accused of sexual misconduct across a number of high-profile industries, including politics, entertainment and the media. The tidal wave of prominent men, among them Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, NBC anchor Matt Lauer and casino mogul Steve Wynn, brought down by allegations years after the alleged abuse has prompted a national discussion about the treatment of victims.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Willoughby, who said Porter was emotionally and verbally abusive toward her during their relationship, said Trump’s language, both in the exchange with reporters and in a later post to Twitter, were “meant to imply that I am a liar,” as is Porter’s first wife, and that Porter’s work as a White House official “was of higher value than our mental, emotional or physical wellbeing.”

Fallout from the accusations against Porter could have political fallout beyond his resignation. Some have called for White House chief of staff John Kelly, who some have said knew or should have known about the accusations against Porter, to be held responsible for his continued employment inside the White House. Kelly has said he only learned of the allegations against Porter last week.

Willoughby wrote in her op-ed that Trump, who multiple women have accused of sexual misconduct, including rape, had “reset” the national conversation around domestic abuse. “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?” she said.

“Everyone wants to talk about how Trump implied I am 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,” Willoughby wrote. “I forgive him. Thankfully, my strength and worth are not dependent on outside belief — the truth exists whether the president accepts it or not.”