Trump questions lack of ‘due process’ after two aides resign over past allegations

President Trump on Saturday raised questions about a lack of due process after two White House aides resigned this week following allegations of past domestic abuse.

“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new,” Trump tweeted.

“There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”

Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. 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?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018

Trump’s comments come in the wake of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigning Wednesday after his two ex-wives came forward with allegations that he abused them physically and emotionally during their marriages.

{mosads}

The president on Friday praised Porter, saying he hopes the former aide has a “great career ahead of him.” He also said Porter did a “very good job” during his time in the White House and highlighted that Porter “says he’s innocent.”

Critics of the president noted that Trump failed to mention either of Porter’s alleged victims in his statement. One of Porter’s ex-wives provided media outlets with photos of herself with bruises she said were inflicted by Porter.

The Washington Post reported Friday that White House speechwriter David Sorensen had also resigned after his former wife said he was violent and emotionally abusive during their marriage. Sorensen denied the allegations, saying he was the abuse victim.

“Before we were contacted by the media, we learned last night that there were allegations. We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today,” White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said in a statement.

The White House faced heavy criticism this week from Republicans and Democrats after it was reported that White House chief of staff John Kelly knew about Porter’s allegations for months before they surfaced in the Daily Mail.

Kelly initially defended Porter before his resignation, but later said he was “shocked” by the allegations and insisted that there is “no place for domestic violence in our society.”

Porter, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and claimed that he was the target of an “coordinated smear campaign” in a statement announcing his resignation Wednesday.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” Porter said.

— John Bowden contributed