Abuse Case Exposes Fissures in a White House in Turmoil
- 6 years ago
Abuse Case Exposes Fissures in a White House in Turmoil
“The problem here was with Mr. Porter, not with the chief of staff.”
The image of a White House at cross purposes was reinforced at another point in the interview when Mr. Mulvaney said
that if he were still a congressman, he most likely would not have voted for the two-year budget deal that Mr. Trump just signed into law, a comment that angered others in the White House.
Mr. Porter has told associates that he had informed White House officials last year
that he had two ex-wives who, he said, had manufactured claims about him.
Mr. Kelly again said Mr. Porter needed to leave, the people said.
When White House officials learned last week that The Daily Mail would publish an article about allegations by the ex-wives, Hope Hicks, the communications director, who had been dating Mr. Porter,
and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, approached Mr. Kelly about a statement in support of him, according to two people briefed on the events.
Mr. Kelly, who had been on Capitol Hill much of the day, agreed to have a statement issued in his name describing the charges as “vile.”
Nonetheless, the people briefed on the discussions said, Mr. Kelly told Mr. Porter at some point later that evening that he needed to resign.
“The problem here was with Mr. Porter, not with the chief of staff.”
The image of a White House at cross purposes was reinforced at another point in the interview when Mr. Mulvaney said
that if he were still a congressman, he most likely would not have voted for the two-year budget deal that Mr. Trump just signed into law, a comment that angered others in the White House.
Mr. Porter has told associates that he had informed White House officials last year
that he had two ex-wives who, he said, had manufactured claims about him.
Mr. Kelly again said Mr. Porter needed to leave, the people said.
When White House officials learned last week that The Daily Mail would publish an article about allegations by the ex-wives, Hope Hicks, the communications director, who had been dating Mr. Porter,
and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, approached Mr. Kelly about a statement in support of him, according to two people briefed on the events.
Mr. Kelly, who had been on Capitol Hill much of the day, agreed to have a statement issued in his name describing the charges as “vile.”
Nonetheless, the people briefed on the discussions said, Mr. Kelly told Mr. Porter at some point later that evening that he needed to resign.