GOP Spokeswoman Claims White House ‘Stands with Women’
It’s pretty hard to
spin the reality that the Trump administration has knowingly staffed white,
male aggressors who have been accused of all kinds of abuse toward women
throughout their lives, including the president himself.
But self–described
“Christian” and Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kayleigh
McEnany did her best on Saturday morning, following the departure
of two senior White House staffers within 48 hours over domestic abuse
allegations.
Unfortunately, almost immediately after McEnany had claimed
to MSNBC’s Alex Witt that, “This is
a White House that stands with women, unmistakably,” Donald Trump proved the
exact opposite by tweeting out a defense of accused
domestic abuser Rob Porter, the White House staff secretary who resigned
this week after two of his former spouses came forward to describe horrendous physical
attacks and verbal abuse during their marriages.
“Can you understand, Kayleigh, why some people are upset at
the president because he didn’t acknowledge the women or the abuse that they
allegedly took?” Witt asked the GOP spokeswoman. “I mean, it’s unlike what you
did in your response. Does he have an insensitivity for women?”
“Absolutely not,” McEnany replied with a straight face. “This
is a president that’s hired women at record rates, he appreciates women, he’s
empowered them throughout his administration, and his response is one we’ve
seen from countless individuals, um, in media…”
“I get that, Kayleigh,” Witt interrupted. “But these are
women that are saying, ‘My husband beat me and he works for you.’ And [Trump]
does not bother to mention them, acknowledge them in any way in his public
statements. There seems to be a tone deafness to that.”
Asked about Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape, the GOP spokeswoman said, “Those were words.
He apologized for those words. I look at the actions of this administration
empowering women throughout the administration, lifting up women economically.
Our unemployment numbers are lower than they’ve ever been. This is a White
House that stands with women unmistakably.”
By “standing with women,” McEnany actually means standing against them. On Friday, Trump
defended Porter and refused to even mention his alleged victims at all.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We wish him well,”
referring to Porter. He added: “He also, as you probably know, says he’s
innocent and I think you have to remember that.”
On Saturday, shortly after McEnany’s shameful comments on
MSNBC, Trump ranted in a tweet that the alleged aggressors in his
administration are the actual victims, not the women the GOP spokeswoman said
Trump “empowers.”
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere
allegation,” Trump tweeted. “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?”
At this point, anyone who still stands with the
Republican Party is inextricably linked to the support of domestic abuse and the
further victimization of those who are abused. There simply is no way to spin
that.