Post. It also the way it factors into the security clearance issue which is already a concern and anomaly because of Jared Kushner serving for a year without a security clearance because for some reason he cant get one. This brings a lot of things to the white house and i find it a dark and disturbing story. It is those things and the security clearance issue which is huge with this white house. Its also a deeply personal story. I just cant get my head out of the grim, really rough details of these stories. Just really, really dark things to spend the day reading. And the personal cost and the personal bravery of these women deciding theyre going to talk about it publically now given the high position hes in and weve seen the protection hes been afforded. This is a dark story. Thanks a lot, rachel. Thanks, lawrence. He only punched me once. How many women have said that . How many women have you heard say that . Ive heard too many. How many wives have said that . He only punched me once. The question in the Trump White House tonight is, how many punches is too many . Because tomorrow morning, a man who has been accused over the last two days of punching his first wife and being physically abusive to his second wife, who got a restraining order against him will report to work in the Trump White House and spend the entire day at john kellys side, as he does every day, and possibly some of that time will be at the president s side, because he is in control of every piece of paper that goes to President Trump. And so, he might spend some of tomorrow at President Trumps side. Might do that also. At least, that was the plan. That was the plan. That the white house announced today when they announced that rob porter was resigning his position at the white house, but would not actually leave his job until some unknown date in the unknown future. But the breaking news tonight from the New York Times is the white house saying tomorrow will be rob porters last day. It took this long for the pressure to build so that tomorrow would be his last day. Instead of, who knows when. And all of this is happening because rob porters two former wives have decided to tell their stories. Stories that they told to the fbi about their former husband, stories that have prevented him from being cleared by the fbi for the security clearance that ever person who ever held that job before him needed in order to hold that job. To hear john kelly tell it, the man accused of Domestic Abuse by both of his wives is the best man working in that white house. Rob porter is a man of true integrity and honor and i cant say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidant, a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him. John kelly has never said something so positive about the president of the United States. John kelly cant say enough good things about him. John kelly issued that statement yesterday, after the daily mail published its first report of one of rob porters wives accusing him of physical abuse. Jennifer willowby described what happened with one of her arguments with her then husband, rob porter, it was js after their first anniversary. She said she walked away from an argument saying im not going to fight you anymore, and she went to take a shower. She was not done fightsing with me. It was a glass shower door he grabbed me and dragged me out of the shower to yell. He apologized but it doesnt take away he was angry enough and that happened. Jennifer willowby went public about her abusive marriage on april 24th last year, 2017, in which she did not mention her husbands name. She wrote, the first time he called me a fing bitch was on our honey moon. Less than two months after that i filed a protective order with the police because he punched in the glass on our front door while i was locked inside. We bought a house to make up for it. Just after our one year anniversary, he pulled me, naked and dripping from the shower to yell at me. When i tried to get help, i was counselled to consider carefully how what i said might affect his career. And so i kept my mouth shut and stayed. If he was a monster all the time perhaps it would have been easier to leave. But he could be kind and sensitive and so i stayed. He cried and apologized and so i stayed. He offered to get help and even went to a few counseling sessions and therapy groups and so i stayed. He belittled my intelligence and destroyed my confidence. And so i stayed. Friends and clergy didnt believe me. And so i stayed. I was pregnant and so i stayed. I lost the pregnancy and became depressed and so i stayed. John kelly new all of that, every word of that yesterday when he said, rob porter is a man of true integrity and honor and i cant say enough good things about him. John kelly knew all of that yesterday when he said, im proud to serve alongside him. Thats the same john kelly who said this. When i was a kid growing up, a lot of things were sacred in our country, women were sacred and looked upon with great honor. In the Boston Neighborhood where john kelly grew up and where i grew up around the same time, the wives who said he only punched me once were the lucky ones. Most wives in our neighborhoods in those days were treated lovingly and respectfully by their husbands and their entire families, but the ones who got beaten and abused were lucky if they only got punched once. If they only got one black eye, like rob porters first wife who publically released a photograph of her black eye today. When john kelly and i were kids in boston, the Catholic Church told the beaten wives they couldnt get divorced no matter how many times they got punched, no matter how many black eyes because divorce was a mortal sin. The priests told their wives to hang in there, be patient and surely their husbands would get better. Thats what happened to rob porters wives, in this case it was the mormon church. For years i would go to Mormon Bishops and try to find the words to explain what was going on but i was at a loss beyond the explanation he got physical with me. Heres what one former Mormon Bishop said yesterday after the first report of rob porter abusing one of his wives. Senator orrin hatch said its incredibly discouraging to see such a vile attack on such a decent man. Shame on any publication that would print this. I know rob, ive known him for years both as a close friend and a personal adviser. He is kind and considerate toward all. Today rob porters first wife said when she finally stopped talking to Mormon Bishops about abuse her attitude changed. It wasnt until i went to a counselor at my work place one summer and told him what was going on that he was the first person, and not a male religious leader, who told me what was happening was not okay. In telling her story to the daily male today she released a photograph that she took and emailed to herself so that she would have a record of the black eye she says her husband, rob porter, gave her when he hit her with that first punch. This is a very, very difficult photograph to look at. Here is what she told the intercept today about how it happened. He only punch med once in the eye. He threw me down in the bed and punched me in the face. I think he was shocked that he had lost control to that extent. After that news story appeared today, with that photograph, senator orrin hatch, the former Mormon Bishop released a new statement about rob porter, who was senator hatchs chief of staff before we went to the work in the white house. I am heart broken by todays allegations. In every interaction ive had with rob, he was professional and respectful. My staff loved him and he was a trusted adviser. Domestic violence is unacceptable. I am praying for rob and those involved. Yesterday orrin hatch says its a vile attack on such a decent man, shame on any publication that would print this. Today orrin hatch says i do not know the details of robs personal life. As outrageous as senator hatchs statement was of yesterdays very convincing abuse that rob porter was accused of, senator hatch at least had the decency to change his staff written Statement Today to something neutral. Something that doesnt call rob porters former wives liars. And then, finally, finally tonight, at 9 30 p. M. , after a full day of this, full day of the black eye picture being out there, thats how long it took, 9 30 p. M. , john kelly finally got around to issuing a new statement. But he tried to have it both ways, by saying he stands by his previous statement. John kellys new statement says, i was shocked by the new allegations released today against rob porter, there is no place for Domestic Violence in our associate. I stand by my previous comments of the rob porter that i have come to know since becoming chief of staff and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation. I accepted his resignation earlier today and will ensure a swift and orderly transition. John kelly is reported to have spent the entire day inside the white house arguing against the possibility of rob porter losing his white house job over this. Thats after, after the black eye photograph was all over this white house today. John kelly fought for rob porters job. Reports indicate that john kelly was actively fighting to save rob porters job after all of these accusations became public, including the one punch black eye. Because for john kelly, apparently, one punch isnt enough. One black eye photograph of one former wife of a white house official, was not enough for john kelly. Thats why he fought today to save rob porters job. Wasnt enough. Yesterday rob porter said he said this in response to the daily mails first story, i will not comment about these matters beyond stating that many of these allegations are sand rous and simply false. That was yesterday. Today, in announcing that he will give up that job and as the New York Times is reporting, give up that job tomorrow, at the white house, after maybe a full day at the white house. Rob porter issued this new statement saying this, these outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago, and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but i will not further engage publically with a coordinated smear campaign. And there you see rob porter, the man john kelly still admires so much, lying in his written Statement Today. He has not been transparent about anything involving these stories of Domestic Abuse. He has not answered one question about them. He has not offered any alternative stories. He simply says that the allegations are false and that is not being transparent. So rob porter will go to work tomorrow in the white house and we will pack his boxes. But he will take his place in that white house tomorrow beside john kelly, working for a president whose first wife once accused him of rape, working for a president who is a selfconfessed Sexual Assault erwho was caught on video bragging about his preferred methods of Sexual Assault. In other words he will go to a white house where he fits in. And he will see his new girlfriend when he goes tomorrow, because news organizations are reporting that rob porter is dating White House Communications director hope hicks. Thats relevant because one of hope hicks duties was cowriting john kellys statement about rob porter, with that in mind, cowritten by the girlfriend, is worth reading once again. This is the statement of the white house chief of staff, defending a white house staff member against the charge of Domestic Abuse and it is a statement tonight that john kelly says he still stands by and it was cowritten by the accused mans current girlfriend. Rob porter is a man of true integrity and honor and i cant say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidant and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him. Our panel will join us after a break. I saw something i was not supposed to. music dominika they gave me a choice. Dominika die. Or become a sparrow. music nathaniel in moscow theres a program, nathaniel they call them sparrows. Trained to seduce and manipulate. Nathaniel that is what she is. Shes out of your league. music you have a gift. music vanya you see through people. Take your life back. music ill find a way. music vanya youre always one step ahead. music dominika youre right. music rated r. Stay at la quinta. Where were changing with stylish makeovers. Then at your next meeting, set your seat height to its maximum level. Bravo, tall meeting man. Start winning today. Book now at lq. Com with advils fast relief, youll ask, what pulled muscle . What headache . Nothing works faster to make pain a distant memory. Advil liquigels and advil liquigels minis. What pain . Adwe all want to know you know, the new, new thing. With xfinitys retail stores, you can now see the latest. Want to test drive the latest devices . Be our guest. Want to save on mobile . Just ask. Want to demo the latest innovations and technology . Do it here. Come see how were making things simple, easy, and awesome. Plus come in today and ask about xfinity mobile, a new kind of network designed to save you money. Visit your local xfinity store today. Joining the discussion now, micao lang, john highland and jill winebanks, former prosecutor is will us. Jill, i want to start with you because this subject is a long one. It is an old subject that weve all lived with for a long time. And it feels to me that john kelly might be lives in yesteryear where one punch and one photograph of one punch is not enough for him to instantly push someone out of the white house. I want to say first how moved i was by your beginning and listening to the story of rob porters exwives and hoping hope hicks will learn something and walk away from this. After the tears that came to my eyes at the beginning i came to outrage. I am outraged. Its not just rob porter, it is the president , steve bannon, what is going on in this white house and how are they making choices . They knew about porter because his exwives told the fbi. His security clearance was held up. This is outrageous that he got a security clearance and its outrageous that he should return to the white house tomorrow. He must be not allowed back in and everybody has to take this much more seriously. This is really outrageous. Dala, what do you have to do in this white house to be kicked out on the spot and well worry about sending this stuff home to you later . There has to be a picture. I think josh martin quit, all those statements, orrin hatchs statement, the statement that john kelly gave, i think they assumed there wasnt a photograph. And as soon as there was a photograph, you have to start back peddling but its extraordinary thats what it takes, a photograph of a woman with a black eye. And there were reports that john kelly was fighting to keep this guy after the picture. If you deconstruct it and say why didnt they tell . They told their church leaders, one told her brother, they told friends. One of them posted on a blog. And then we hear the white house saying, i didnt see it happen in front of me. Thats not the guy i know. This is why women dont tell. Mika, please feel free to comment about any aspect but i was going to ask about the security clearance about this, what happens when the fbi discoveries information like that. Its a red flag that you would have a concern like this. Its something youre trying to conceal so theres potential for blackmail. But if he lied to the fbi, like he did to john kelly and the president that this didnt happen. It also makes you wonder how the white house is going through its security clearance process that someone like this, who is known to have not been truthful about what happened, whos trying to conceal something thats a security violation and a vul any vulnerability stays inside this job. Beside the horribleness of what happened to these two women, maybe a third woman, presents a face in the Office Different than what they played at home. The breitbart headline refers to this as kushner ally rob porter resigns. They did go to college together, went to harvard. Let me add this, this is a kid whose father is a harvard professor. Who is the resident dean of one of the dormitoriries there. Whose mother lives in that dormitory with his father, the kid went to harvard. His first wife went to wellsly college. This is happening all over the country in all kinds of families, but lets make no mistake about what kind of family this was. This was the kind of family that likes to think of itself as above suspicion in these things. I wanted to get that element in there. Well come back to some of the personal elements. But john kelly who comes from a different world from rob porter in so many ways, is the guy in there defending, and were getting reports this has shaken people in the white house about john kelly. His father was a harvard professor of mine, he was head of directive policy and a Public Servant who has served at the highest levels of white house just as his son is still serving, so theres a long tradition here and traditionally republican politics. Its clear that no one is above reproach, especially when allegations like this are born out. John kelly has had a bad 24 to 36 hours if you start with the comments that he made about the dreamers yesterday suggesting that they were too lazy, some of them, hundreds of thousands of them were too lazy to sign up for the program, do what they needed to do, i thought exposing not for the first time, something you talked about a lot on this program, expoing a cultural and racial sim pat koe with donald trump. Now we find at least in his moral obtuseness with this situation he shares another thing with donald trump that he is apparently someone who does not take seriously the most obvious, glaring, blatant signs of spousal abuse and behavior to the point of violence. The chief of staff knows everything about everybody in the white house. He has access to all of the information. So this is something thats not like paul on the road to demas cuss and something came down, this turns out maybe to be a bad guy. Everything is accessible to john kelly. He made these defenses, the defense became untenable because a picture came out. He knew the facts of the case when he made the statement yet yesterday and he knew it the moment he came i