White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Almost a week after allegations of domestic abuse by Rob Porter first surfaced, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday that "Above all the president supports victims of domestic violence and believes everyone should be treated with fair and due process." Sanders said that statement came directly from the president.
Why it matters: There has been a lot of mixed messaging from the White House following Porter's exit. Publicly, President Trump seemed to defend Porter in a tweet over the weekend, and hasn't yet directly addressed the victims.
More on Porter:
- When did Gen. John Kelly first learn of the allegations? Sanders dodged the specifics, but said, "We learned of the extent of the situation involving Rob Porter last Tuesday evening ... within 24 hours [he was out of the White House.]"
- Why did the White House let Porter handle sensitive information without a high-level security clearance? "You guys are the ones who publish classified information and put national security at risk."
- On reports that Trump's lawyer Don McGahn was told repeatedly of the allegations from Porter's ex-wives: "Not accurate," said Sanders.
- Does the president still wish Porter success? "The President of the United States hopes that all Americans can be successful in whatever they do."
The bottom line: There's still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the White House's handling of the Porter crisis.