Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who coached wrestling at Ohio State decades ago, faced questions this week after former wrestlers said he knew about sexual abuse of athletes by the team’s doctor. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo Trump defends Jim Jordan: 'I believe him'

President Donald Trump came to Rep. Jim Jordan’s defense Thursday after the Ohio Republican denied claims that he overlooked years of sexual abuse when he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State University.

“I believe him,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, according to a pool report. “Jim Jordan is one of the most outstanding people I’ve met since I’ve been in Washington. I believe him 100 percent. No question in my mind.”


Trump further asserted Jordan’s innocence, saying he doesn’t believe the allegations.

“I don’t believe them at all,” Trump said.

The Republican congressman, who was the assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1986 to 1994, faced questions this week after three former wrestlers told NBC News that Jordan knew about sexual abuse of athletes by the team’s doctor at the time.

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The players claimed that there was no way Jordan couldn’t have known about Richard Strauss’ behavior, including that the physician would regularly shower with students and touch them inappropriately during examinations.

One former wrestler, Dunyasha Yetts, said he had told Jordan about an instance in which the doctor pulled his pants down and that Jordan had responded by saying he'd “kill him” if Strauss “tried anything with him.”

Jordan has denied the allegations, saying he would have done something if he knew about the abuse.

“It’s not true,” Jordan told POLITICO this week. “I never knew about any type of abuse. If I did, I would have done something about it. And look, if there are people who are abused, then that’s terrible and we want justice to happen.”

Jordan told POLITICO he is not worried about new allegations saying, “We’ve got the truth on our side.”

Trump has long denied accusations of sexual assault made against him by numerous women. He has similarly defended men who have been accused of harassment, including the late Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes and television host Bill O'Reilly.