Why is President Donald Trump defending Rep. Jim Jordan in Ohio State scandal?

Christine Brennan, USA TODAY | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Congressman denies knowledge of Ohio State abuse Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan is once again denying claims that he knew two decades ago of abuse allegations against an Ohio State team doctor. (July 6)

A very serious news story has developed over the past few days at Ohio State. Former athletes from 14 sports, including the wrestling team, have reported sexual abuse by former team doctor Richard Strauss, who died in 2005.

In a stunning twist to the story, five former wrestlers have told NBC News and The Wall Street Journal that powerful Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who was Ohio State’s assistant wrestling coach from 1986-94, knew Strauss was molesting student-athletes and failed to do anything to stop him. Jordan has denied those allegations.

Nearly seven years after the Jerry Sandusky horrors at Penn State first made headlines, and almost two years after the USA Gymnastics and Michigan State story broke, the nation is standing at the doorstep of what is alleged to be another American cultural nightmare at another Big Ten school.

If we’ve learned anything from the horrible scandals at Penn State and USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, it is that we should encourage every effort be made to investigate every former student-athlete’s accusation thoroughly and without bias or distraction, for as long as it takes, wherever it might lead. No one should interfere with something so important as keeping our nation’s children and students safe from sexual predators, and bringing those who failed to protect our children and students to justice.

More: Fourth Ohio State wrestler says Rep. Jordan knew of team doctor's abuse

More: Trump says he '100 percent' believes Rep. Jim Jordan's denials

More: Rep. Jim Jordan accused of ignoring allegations of sexual abuse

No one should get in the way, not even the President of the United States.

But speaking to reporters Thursday on Air Force One, Donald Trump did just that. Asked about the serious accusations being made against Jordan, Trump said:

“I don’t believe them at all. I believe him. 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. I believe Jim Jordan 100 percent. He’s an outstanding man.”

While it comes as absolutely no surprise that Trump is standing by a political ally, it is reprehensible that he chose to say those words at this time in the midst of another of our nation’s college sex abuse scandals. Obviously, Trump has no idea if Jordan was told about the alleged molestation or not. The only people who know are the student-athletes, perhaps their friends and families, and Jordan and perhaps his friends and family.

Nonetheless, the president took one look at the most serious of American college sports scandals and turned it into political theater. What a disservice this is to Ohio State’s investigation, and to the five men who had the courage to come forward with their allegations against not only Strauss, but also their former assistant coach who now happens to be one of the most powerful men in the nation.

Now that you’ve heard from Trump, listen to two of the former wrestlers.

Shawn Dailey, 43, told NBC News on Thursday that he was groped half a dozen times by Strauss in the mid-1990s.

“I participated with Jimmy (Jordan) and the other wrestlers in locker room talk about Strauss,” Dailey said. “We all did. It was very common knowledge in the locker room that if you went to Dr. Strauss for anything, you would have to pull your pants down.”

Dailey, who called Jordan “a close friend,” said he is a Republican and contributed to Jordan’s first political campaign for state representative in 1994.

“What happened drove me out of the sport," Dailey said. “So I was surprised to hear Jim say that he knew nothing about it. Jimmy’s a good guy, but to say that he had no knowledge of it, I would say that’s kind of hurtful.”

And Mark Coleman, another former Ohio State wrestler and a former UFC world champion, told The Wall Street Journal that Jordan was aware of the abuse and did not take action.

“There’s no way unless he’s got dementia or something that he’s got no recollection of what was going on at Ohio State,” said Coleman, who said he was Jordan’s roommate on several competition trips.

Jordan and those who support him in the political realm are already crying conspiracy, that it’s some kind of political plot. A storyline like that plays well with Trump, obviously.

The stakes could not be higher for Jordan. He must know that everyone at Penn State, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State who failed to act, or looked away, and then lied about it, lost their jobs, their reputations, basically everything.

That’s what Trump is worried about. But Trump can’t save Jordan. After Penn State, and after USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, we can be certain of this:

If Jordan is found to have known about the alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State and done nothing, he will not survive.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan on Twitter @cbrennansports.