Before Rob Porter was a scandal so bad some in the White House welcomed a mass shooting as a “reprieve” from the bad publicity, he was quite the golden boy. His ex-wives and at least one ex-girlfriend knew the truth, and a few coworkers caught glimpses of his anger problem, but his career was going from high to high and even now there are plenty of people who will tell the New York Times positive things about him—apparently domestic violence doesn’t always provoke reconsideration of a view of someone as “an upstanding guy driven by morals.” But Porter sure has given the White House a lot to move on from, and signs aren’t good that it’s happening effectively:
His resignation, on Feb. 7 after two ex-wives accused him of abuse and photos surfaced of one with a black eye she said he had given her, prompted scrutiny over White House aides’ clearances. Some, including Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, may now have their access to closely held materials revoked as investigations into their backgrounds continue.
What are the odds that Donald Trump allows precious Jared to lose his access?
Mr. Porter has denied abusing his ex-wives, and has instead suggested that the women have not shared the whole story. Several of his friends and former colleagues in Congress and in the White House share this belief. Mr. Porter has also privately told people that he believes the security clearance debacle says more about the dysfunction at the White House than it does about his behavior.
Yes, Porter is apparently so charismatic that people—conservative Republicans invested in his career, anyway—will believe his laughable claims about how his ex-wives got black eyes or got their windows broken. Then again, we’re talking about people who would go on to welcome the reprieve offered by 17 people killed in a school shooting, so believing the lies of a wife beater suddenly doesn’t seem so outlandish.