Over the last week, the most talked about political story has involved the domestic abuse allegations against Rob Porter, the recently resigned White House staffer. After the administration gave a controversial response, one of the Porter's ex-wives decided to speak out.
Porter's scandal
Rob Porter had been working in the White House for over a year when the Daily Mail published their bombshell piece accusing the White House staffer of domestic abuse against his two ex-wives. As expected, Porter denied the allegations but decided he would resign from his position.
In response, Trump publicly defended Porter, praising his work in the administration while later casting doubt on the accusers during a much-publicized tweetstorm. In addition, Trump aides like Kellyanne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders have defended Trump's response, which has resulted in a constant stream of criticism.
JUST IN: Porter ex-wife rips female Trump aides: "I expected a woman to do better" https://t.co/KNvPYf072W pic.twitter.com/YiZWwyNvhp
— The Hill (@thehill) February 13, 2018
In a rebuttal to the response of Donald Trump and the White House, one of Rob Porter's ex-wives, Colbie Holderness, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post where she was highly critical of the women in the administration.
"I was dismayed when Conway....went on to say that she does not fear for Hope Hicks," Holderness wrote, in response to Hick's reported relationship with Rob Porter. "I beg to differ," she added, before explaining that Porter's alleged abuse "chipped away at my independence and sense of self-worth" and left her a "shell of the person" she used to be.
"Rob Porter is my ex-husband. Here’s what you should know about abuse." https://t.co/wQfVdujGt5 via @PostOpinions
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 13, 2018
Colbie Holderness then shifted her op-ed to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has continued to be vague in response to the Rob Porter scandal and response from Donald Trump.
"While I cannot say I am surprised, I expected a woman to do better," Holderness said of Sanders and Conway's remarks. Holderness' column went on to describe the reported history of abuse with Porter, her ability to survive, and how she plans to move forward.
Moving forward
This isn't the first time that Sarah Huckabee Sanders or Kellyanne Conway have come under fire for their constant defense of Donald Trump. From the early stages of the campaign back in 2015, through the election win and the first year in the White House, Conway, Sanders, and other women backing Trump have faced harsh criticism for standing by the president due his controversial personal history with woman, questionable rhetoric, and policy proposals that many believe have a negative impact on the female population.