Report: WH Set Up Off Record Briefing With Porter After Ex-Wife’s Photo Posted

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 01: Rob Porter, right, White House staff secretary, and Don McGahn, White House counsel, attend a luncheon featuring a speech by President Donald Trump at the House and Senate Republican retreat at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on February 1, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 01: Rob Porter, right, White House staff secretary, and Don McGahn, White House counsel, attend a luncheon featuring a speech by President Donald Trump at the House and Senate Republican retr... UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 01: Rob Porter, right, White House staff secretary, and Don McGahn, White House counsel, attend a luncheon featuring a speech by President Donald Trump at the House and Senate Republican retreat at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on February 1, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) MORE LESS
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Shortly after the Daily Mail published a photo of Rob Porter’s wife with a black eye, the White House arranged an off-the-record briefing with Porter and four reporters, Politico reported Tuesday morning.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders arranged for Porter to tell his side of the story to the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, the Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey, Axios’ Jonathan Swan, and the Wall Street Journal’s Michael Bender, according to Politico.

The Daily Mail published the photo of Porter’s first wife, Colbie Holderness, with a black eye on Wednesday of last week, after publishing an account of abuse from Porter’s second wife on Tuesday.

The news that Sanders arranged a briefing between Porter and several reporters on Wednesday calls into question chief of staff John Kelly’s reported claim that he asked for Porter’s resignation 40 minutes after he learned the extent of allegations against the former staff secretary. Several reports have indicated that Kelly and White House Counsel Don McGahn were aware of the allegations against Porter before the story went public.

Porter announced his resignation on Wednesday after both of his ex-wives accused him of verbal and physical abuse. Porter has denied the claims, and the White House at first publicly stood behind him when the allegations became public. After more details about the allegations surfaced, however, the White House changed its tune and pushed for Porter to depart the White House swiftly. The White House has since acknowledged that it could have handled the situation better, but President Donald Trump has continued to defend Porter.

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Notable Replies

  1. It was never up for debate whether this administration was lying or telling the truth about any matter, so that doesn’t interest me. But I do have one question:

    What could he

    POSSIBLY

    have said?

  2. Because, you know, if you spin it right, beating up your wife isn’t a really big deal. You just have to get ahead of these stories to win the News Cycle.

    And, have some sympathy for Drumph’s White Hole House, Porter was, when he wasn’t beating up women, apparently competent at his job, (as measured by this collection of morons), so, losing him means they likely don’t have anyone who can type.

  3. Up until now it has been assumed that the People occupying the White House had regardless of political party, the best interests of the country at heart and would at least do their upmost for the security of the nation.
    That all changed on Jan 20th 2017
    This collection of grifters thieves and unqualified boobs have put the country at risk by actively working with a foreign power against the interests of the United states .
    It was always assumed as in the military people handling classified materials would have a security clearance .
    That went out the window with Trump
    In a time where the President, if he were applying for a position, would not get a security clearance and he has numerous people on his staff without that clearance it is past time that laws were laid down that no one without a security clearance gets to handle classified documents.
    We need something to protect the American people

  4. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders arranged for Porter to tell his side of the story to the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, the Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey, Axios’ Jonathan Swan, and the Wall Street Journal’s Michael Bender, Politico.

    Does the four reporters have any comments ? even if Porter is “Off Record” the CoS is not, right ? What did he know when ?

    ETTD…

  5. Because when your White House gets in a huge jam, Who ya gonna call? Fake News!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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