Speier: Trump’s view on harassment ‘beyond rehabilitation’

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said Saturday that President Trump’s views on sexual misconduct and domestic abuse are “beyond rehabilitation,” after he appeared to raise questions about such allegations.

“The new mantra is ‘We believe the women,’ and he is frozen in ‘I believe the men,’ ” Speier told The Washington Post in an interview. “He’s beyond rehabilitation in my view.”

Speier’s comments came after Trump declared Saturday morning that there is a lack of “Due Process” for men who are accused of domestic abuse and sexual misconduct, and that such allegations had “shattered and destroyed” people’s lives.

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Speier, who has been among the lawmakers leading efforts to crackdown on sexual misconduct in Congress, blasted Trump for not condemning domestic violence after a week, in which two White House aides resigned in the face of such allegations.

“I think his tweet shows utter contempt for women, and it’s incomprehensible to me that he has not been able to come out and say how vile domestic violence is and how it has no place in society and especially not in the White House,” she told the Post. “Not one word about that.”

Rob Porter resigned this week as White House staff secretary after allegations emerged that he had physically and emotionally abused two of his ex-wives. Another aide, speechwriter David Sorensen, resigned Friday after his former wife said he had been violent and emotionally abusive during their marriage.

Both men have denied the allegations against them.

Speier said it would be Vice President Pence’s responsibility to respond to the situation. Pence condemned domestic violence on Friday in an interview with “NBC Nightly News,” and said he was “appalled” by the allegations against Porter. 

The White House has scrambled to contain the fallout from the allegations this week, especially after media reports surfaced indicating that some senior White House officials, including chief of staff John Kelly, knew of the accusations against Porter for months.

Trump said Friday that Porter’s situation was “very sad” and that he wished the former aide well.