It took him a little more than a week since his staff secretary’s history of domestic violence was publicly revealed, but Donald Trump finally had something to say on the subject. Well, something other than wishing Rob Porter well and reminding us that “he says he’s innocent.” So what stirring, heartfelt words did Trump have for the American public?
I’m totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind. Everyone knows that, and it almost wouldn’t even have to be said.
It almost wouldn’t even have to be said if you were showing your opposition, Donald. If a serial wife-beater wasn’t kept in his job close to you for months after the FBI provided its background check, defended by your staff when the story broke in the media and wished well by you personally amidst silence on his ex-wives. It’s all very well to say you’re opposed to domestic violence in general—really, who says “I’m for it”? It’s the specifics that show where a person really stands. How do you respond when you find out someone close to you is an abuser? How long does it take you to condemn it?
And when you’re president, there’s another way we know where you stand on domestic violence: by your policies and your staffing. And guess what, Donald? When a lawmaker pretends to boost domestic violence funding by taking money out of a survivors' fund, it’s reasonable to question him on the issue. When someone has been in the White House for more than a year and hasn't even nominated a director of the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, it’s reasonable to question exactly how deep-seated his opposition to domestic violence really is.
It’s easy to say you’re opposed to domestic violence. You have to show it to be believed.