Sen. Jeff Flake says it’s an “understatement” that the White House mishandled the allegations of domestic violence against former staff secretary Rob Porter.
“Well, I think the way the White House said that they could have handled the situation better, that’s a bit of an understatement,” Mr. Flake said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Yes, they could have done a lot better, particularly with the Rob Porter situation.”
Both of Mr. Porter’s ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness, said their respective divorces were caused by consistent domestic abuse. Both women said they provided detailed accounts of their marriages with Mr. Porter to the FBI early last year.
Mr. Porter, who resigned on Wednesday, said the “outrageous allegations are simply false.”
White House officials have come under scrutiny for not taking action sooner. Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly told West Wing officials that he was willing to resign over the incident.
President Trump appeared to push back on the scandal and the broader rush to judgment in the “Me too” movement.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” Mr. Trump said in a tweet on Saturday. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
Mr. Flake said the incident could hurt Republicans in the November elections.
“I do think if you put on a political hat that that is a big problem, certainly how we are viewed as Republicans in the next election,” he said.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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