A hypothesis: When Trump speaks of women, he’s thinking of men

The following article by Avi Selk was posted on the Washington Post website February 11, 2018:

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump appeared with women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct. Back when he was friends with the Clintons, Trump had disparaged some of the same women. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

As a seemingly endless string of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse allegations bring down people near the center of U.S. politics and culture, some have noticed an apparent pattern in President Trump’s responses to selected scandals.

We could even state it as a hypothesis:

Whether Donald Trump believes a woman’s claim of sexual misconduct depends on his relationship to the accused man.

So let’s test it. Continue reading “A hypothesis: When Trump speaks of women, he’s thinking of men”

Trump Defends Rob Porter: ‘He … Says He’s Innocent’

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website February 9, 2018:

‘We hope he has a wonderful career,’ president says amid abuse scandal

Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump on Friday praised former Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who left the White House Thursday amid a domestic abuse scandal involving allegations from two ex-wives.

“We wish him well, he worked very hard. We found out about it recently and I was surprised by it, but we certainly wish him well and it’s a tough time for him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “He did a very good job when he was in the White House.”

Despite images handed over to media outlets from his first wife showing her with a black eye she says Porter gave her on their honeymoon in the early-2000s, the president said White House officials “hope he has a wonderful career and he will have a great career ahead of him.” Continue reading “Trump Defends Rob Porter: ‘He … Says He’s Innocent’”