Donald Trump believes the men. Always. Unless they're Democrats. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/10/poli ... index.htmlCNN)If there's been one consistent thing about Donald Trump since he emerged as a presidential candidate in June 2015, it's this: When women accuse men of sexual assault or domestic abuse, Trump sides with the men.
The most recent example of this trend has played out over the last 72 hours -- as Trump has repeatedly noted that Rob Porter, his former staff secretary, denies the charges of physical and emotional abuse levied against him by both of his ex-wives as well as a former girlfriend.[snip]
"The fact that @realDonaldTrump praised Porter and said not a word about his abusive behavior or his former wives is typical of the WH attitude toward women and abuse," tweeted former New Jersey Republican Gov. Christie Todd Whitman on Saturday." Our children must learn a different lesson.[snip]
The one time Trump seems to take the claims of sexual assault or abuse by women at face value is when those charges are leveled against Democrats. When then-Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota and then-Rep. John Conyers of Michigan faced accusations of sexual assault or forcible groping, Trump offered this:
"Women are very special. I think it's a very special time, a lot of things are coming out and I think that's good for our society and I think it's very, very good for women and I'm very happy a lot of these things are coming out. I'm very happy it's being exposed."
If you look up "situational ethics" in the dictionary, this is it. When men who he likes or who agree with his political leaning are accused of this sort of behavior, Trump is quick to note their denials -- and to slough off the very real evidence many of these women have to back up their claims. When the man is a political opponent, Trump has no problem taking the word of the women.This is not some private citizen we are talking about. This is the president of the United States. Which means what he says about allegations of sexual assault and domestic abuse matter much, much more. And why what he chooses to say -- and not say -- is all the more disappointing.[snip][end]
Only Democratic lawmakers, it seems, can be taken as guilty until proven innocent.