I missed it ...
when was the trial ?
Who was the judge ?
What was the verdict ?
Was he convicted ?
Oh.. I forgot, he’s a man, and worse, a white man.
Men are no longer are presumed innocent, or have rights that others are entitled to.
Sorry.
3
There is no legitimate explanation for not having a security clearance and having access to classified information.
There is no legitimate explanation for the reason that a person is denied a clearance being repeated spousal abuse.
There is no legitimate explanation that the administration would deny they had been informed of a violent abuser in a position of trust when they had been so informed.
These are all examples of the worst lack of accountability imaginable and abuse of power in a democratic nation with a balance of power mechanism. If the other two branches of government do not act, it’s hard to imagine what rises to the level they will.
There apparently is no outrage or action in the general population. We might be lost?
8
While I get the point of this op-ed, I just don't care much about how white men get a pass at this point. I really care that two women were physically beaten. Don't make their troubles a platform about privilege or any other cause. These two women are the reason for outrage, not some hop-on political, and cultural stuff.
3
It's not "pregnant people," Lindy. It's "pregnant women." Only biological females--women--get pregnant.
2
Mmm okay thanks, helpful. Aren’t women persons?
8
Rob Porter is nothing if not consistent. Unless his ex-wives happen to have the same divorce attorney, they both ended up acknowledging the same tales of violence, terror, and misery. You’d think there’s something of a pattern here not just “allegations.” Trump whined that the “allegations” ruined Porter’s career ignoring the idea that he ruined his wives’ faces. Next we’ll hear he’s offering a reward for the capture of the “real” wife-beater. It’s funny how what you see is what you get. Clinton was a philanderer and you got philandering. Trump is a misogynist and you get misogyny. Go figure! Did anyone tell Hope Hicks. If so, what does that say about judgement in the White House? Perversely sad.
7
" SOME wife beaters are fine people".
10
Thank you.
2
Gawd. This administration can't tell the truth about anything. Please, please, please hurry Mr. Mueller.
11
Assertions that Rob Porter was vulnerable to blackmail the may have been valid up until the time the allegations against him first surface, but once the allegations became public he could have continued at the White House without fear of blackmail. However, the new canon that all allegations of domestic violence or sexual assault allegations must be accepted as true makes anyone who holds prominent positions vulnerable to blackmail.
I am a retired Fed with secret clearance.
When I first went to the government I was granted interim clearance but not allowed to work on issues that required my permanent clearance until I actually received it.
Rob Porter had Top secret clearance I presume. So why was he allowed to work on TS issues without permanent clearance? All other Fed civilians are required to do this. I believe this may be in violation of a Fed requirement but not positive.
In either case, if he couldn't pass clearance he should have been fired like every other Fed worker is if they can't pass clearance.
Something sticks here......
14
I'd love to sit next to one of Trump's flunkies in first class...they might might hear less abuse while in coach.
2
When men complain "Where's the due process," I say stuff it! Where was the due process throughout the past when women were (still are) victims of the worst abuses of men's patriarchal system?
Women have been men's baby appliances, dishwashers, housekeepers, nannies, and sex toys. Women have been abused at work, they have been paid a fraction for the same work men do, they have had to work harder than men to achieve the same level of standing, and they have had to fight for the right to vote.
Men who complain about needing "due process" are pitiful, weak and contemptible. I stand with women who say "Take this due process and shove it!" Where was their due process?
16
John Kelly knows better than this. A four-star general, of all people, knows the importance of security clearances. He knows the importance of "extreme vetting" of those who see our government's most sensitive information.
We know that Jared and Ivanka, among others, have been using their own private email accounts to conduct White House business, and that Jared is still working for the president with an interim clearance.
Were Kelly still active duty, he would be guilty of dereliction of duty. Add that to the lies and overt racism, and he is obviously manifestly unfit for the job he holds.
He should be fired.
16
It is doubtful that DJT would receive security clearance from the FBI if he was required to obtain it. And, if a security clearance was required of nominees for the Presidency six months prior to Election Day quacks like Trump would be summarily disqualified thereby saving our nation the debacle we are in.
14
"(I believe that unit of measurement is called “capitalism.”)" Perhaps, but I believe that unit of measurement is sexism, as ignoring the horrid things men to do women--including Trump--has to be entirely ignored for these men to get to where they are.
2
The deposition of Ivana Trump filed during her divorce from Donald, suggest that Trump and Ron Porter have much in common with respect to their violent treatment of women. No surprises here. Birds of a Feather as they say. Any woman who votes for Trump has no self-respect.
10
I wish we would focus on real national priorities.
1
The reason (of many) you can't risk a Bob Porter working in Government is Security. Security isn't a Secondary Concern in Government, it's a primary as it concerns: Personnel, Information, and Facilities.
Having a Bob Porter can possibly compromise at least the 1st 2 of them and having him on board and him having an "Episode" could then compromise the remaining 3rd (Facilities) as a returning former worker seeking revenge.
What,... if you have him on board, you ready to brief the remaining Staff with an at best Assessment,
"Don't worry we've vetted him thoroughly, Robert only Beats his Wives and Girlfriends!!!"
3
If the Russians are as competent as we like to give them credit for, wouldn't it be possible/likely Porter has long since been compromised? As long as a year ago? Has he seen anything sensitive since? Who would benefit most from access to that information? Have safeguards been in place?
6
People like Kushner and Porter don't necessarily have to be passing information to Russia or foreign governments. They could be tipping off their rich pals about large government purchases of equipment and other insider information that would benefit their stock portfolios or corporate decisions.
The WaPo has a good article today by Jennifer Rubin about the Kushners and their massive debt, both personal and business related. It makes it very clear that Kushner is a huge security risk and has no business running around the White House and the world unsupervised.
8
This situation is particularly relevant and ought to be taken more seriously than some of the rather dated #MeToo assertions. While I sympathize with the idiocy of George H W Bush apologizing for his boorish behavior in the sixties (pinching women), it is crucial we do not let the right try to create a false equivalency for two reasons:
1.) The abuse that was asserted, documented, and ultimately ended in a judicial restraining order here was always illegal. There can be no false equivalency as it is actionable assault and battery. A man who does this to his spouse is providing a clear indication of his character. It is impossible to see how such a person should ever have been in a position of responsibility. This warrants a serious investigation into Trump and the firing of at least Kelly and maybe others that knew.
2. We need to view these assertions in context. It is unfair to apply today's standard to actions of yesterday like in the Bush example. However, this is a recent set of actions. The current standard is appropriate here and there is no place for Porter or the Administration to hide. Get every Republican & Democrat on the record for why Trump should not be further investigated and Kelly should not be fire. It will make great theater in November.
33
You are confusing two different incidents. Porter's second wife asked for a restraining order after Porter allegedly pounded on their front door. He wanted to pickup his clothing. She refused to admit him. There was no allegation of physical violence. A restraining order is a civil proceeding, not a criminal proceeding. Restraining orders are common in divorce cases.
Rob Porter’s first wife told the Daily Mail that she got the black eye when her husband punched her as they argued in their hotel room while vacationing in Europe. “I think it shocked him and it shocked me. It never happened again, it was a one-time thing," she said.
Porter denies he punched her. According to ABC News, he told senior White House staffers she got the black eye as the two struggled over a Venetian glass vase that she was about to smash to the floor. He said she got the black eye as she fell to the floor.
The “one-time thing” happened in 2005, when Porter was in his twenties; he is now 40-years-old. There was no arrest and no criminal charges. The White House would not have denied Porter a security clearance based on the incident, even if it believed the first wife’s version of the incident. Federal agencies can waive even criminal convictions if they want, but Porter has no criminal record.
Do you really think a person who allegedly committed an offense but was never charged, much less convicted, should never be able to hold a responsible positions?
3
You don't have any idea what the FBI found out about Porter. All you know is that they denied him a security clearance. They did not release their report on him. What you know about Porter came from a story in a British tabloid and was written and published months after the FBI had turned over their findings to the White House, as we now know from Wray's testimony.
3
I love this quote: "What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men — to not only separate Porter the guy-whose-ex-wife-filed-a-protective-order-against-him from Porter the guy-who-is-pretty-good-at-being-a-staff-secretary, but then to weigh their relative importance and choose the latter. (I believe that unit of measurement is called “capitalism.”)"
Truth and fire. Go, Lindy!
14
Accusations of two ex-wives and a former girlfriend of domestic abuse is a pretty good indicator of Porters' character.
19
Capitalism is based on divorcing the quest for profits from its context. This means that capitalism as such is at best indifferent to morality. And in reality, when it pretends to care about morality, this is a lie to keep people off its back and allow it to do its thing unhindered by people who value truth and goodness. The cigarette companies were successful in fending off government interference (forced warnings about their products) for decades; this is a business success story, a rear-guard action that has been studied and emulated by many other businesses, the gold standard for businesses in this situation. Purdue Pharmaceuticals is a very successful enterprise and has only had to share some of its profits with governments..
Pure capitalism is almost inevitably immoral and has no reason not to be. We need to look for some impurities we can add that will stop its immoralities without killing its vitality. The biggest and root obstacle to doing this is that there is no clarity about its necessity. Fear about fighting a system that is vengeful and wrecking economic vitality is part of it, but the main obstacle is a desire to see both sides, be fair to everybody, and maintain a belief that the world that surrounds us is fundamentally OK. This desire preserves our economic system as it preserved Larry Nassar for decades and pederastic priests for generations. We need not do away with sports medicine or organized religion to fix things.
8
Looking at this young professional man reminds me so much of my son and all of his government atty. friends of about the same age; bright, good looking, etc. Nevertheless, the truth is that my stomach hurts to the point of wanting to vomit thinking of this Ivy League bully punching, punching women and otherwise abusing women. Vile, sick human being. And, he was protected by the macho General Kelly and his supplicants. God help us.
14
The Porter scandal is just another example of the “family values” of the perverse Republican party!
26
The White House knew about problems with the staff secretary Rob Porter’s security clearance nearly a year before he was forced to resign, F.B.I. director Christopher Wray said this week. We know now that the hold up on his clearance was tied to allegations of domestic abuse — and the Trump White House seems to have known that by last November, too.
Three serious issues, here:
1.) The Trump administration has already displayed a blatant disrespect for women's health-issues, via it's so, called 'pro_life, 'N, health_care via theology' policies; How 'bout directing some of that same, (allegedly...), pious zeal to-/-for preventing 'spousal_blanket_parties'?
2.) Why are there a BUNCH of W-Wing-folks w/o security clearances, particular Mr. Trump's son, in law?
3.) I DON'T know if the Trump Administration's (alleged) 'traitorous', 'money laundering via real estate-$$-parking', 'N, 'obstruction' crimes are worse, than their attempted feints-/-cover-ups, but...the failed cover-ups are DEFINITELY funnier, in a 'rubber-necking-the-train-wreck-site' sort of way!!
6
What do they know about anybody who's working there and, do they care. MAGA is Italian for incompetence.
5
Our defining sickness? If I may say so, our defining sickness seems to be that we have replaced "E pluribus unum" with "Me, me, me."
15
I watched "the battle of the sexes" last night about the historic battle between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. One of the things that stood out was the attitude that men had that women were inferior and didn't deserve equal rights. That attitude still lives with us and there will always be men like Mr Porter who see women as objects. Never forget that domestic violence is about power and control and the need to build yourself up by destroying another person.
The #metoo movement is scaring those who abuse because the victims are pushing back and they're being listened to. During the equal rights movement there were still a lot of women who bought into the mentality that women were less than men but that has changed. Now women are saying enough and the bullies are scared.
We as a nation must draw our line in the sand. No matter how competent someone is, if they abuse others then there's no place for them in government. This type of behavior will only stop when there are real consequences.
17
"What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men".
Stop it. Stop taking every isolated incident and attaching it to an entire sector of the population. This is not the first column by Lindy that was published where she played into sensational rhetoric that draws the eyes of the offended and offenders. Does she have a point? Yes, probably so. But it's completely missing the mark. You do not have to tie the white privilege discussion to convey the point that it would appear that every official in this administration could be charged with moral bankruptcy.
The quoted statement above is reckless and is the same kind of sentiment that prevents white males from considering liberal policies or even leaning slightly left. The stand up man feels as if he is getting yelled at for nothing, for simply carrying on with his life. And of those gentlemen, who have lived clean and morally-in-line lives, many of them voted for Trump for exactly this reason.
And if we are talking about isolated incidents then you for sure must be outraged at Kobe Bryant. Phenomenal player, practically got a parade in every city he played he visited in his final year. Everyone seemed to forget the rape allegations. In the wake of the #MeToo movement that practically flipped tables in Hollywood, that same Kobe is nominated for an oscar. How shortsighted is the Academy really?
I beg you. Please refrain from pinning the actions of one person to the behaviors of bystanders.
11
“The stand up man feels as if he’s getting yelled at for nothing.” You’re right. He IS getting yelled at for nothing. And by “nothing,” I mean the “nothing” he did or said when he was face to face with misogyny and sexism in the locker room, the dorm, the frat party, the board room, or, ultimately, the White House. Where’s the outcry from all these stand up men, on behalf of their sisters, daughters, wives and fellow humans who happen to be female?
If a bunch of people stand silently by while others are being hurt, the ones being hurt might not think very highly of the bystanders. Surely you can understand that.
And Kobe Bryant and the Academy Awards people aren’t making public policy or heading up the executive branch of the US government. So what’s your point?
21
Let me be clear on this: I believe, as you do, that Porter is a disgrace. His actions prove he shouldn't have been in the executive branch in the first place and was rightfully ousted after his public reveal.
On the stand up man comment you made: Mary - thank you for proving my point. I'm not talking about those men. There are many fine gentlemen who believe in progressive policies, who've lived a good life thus far, and perhaps their worst offense was a speeding ticket. But you just grouped those men into the same category as the misogynists and the immoral executives. Believe it or not - that offends people. You're basically casting a net at free will. Those who have lived a decent life feel as if they were getting chided for the personal actions of others. That shies people away from your stance. It's a big reason a cake walk of an election for democrats resulted in the victory of an inept egotist. You need to have a common goal without infighting. My basic point is this - Do you want to be pure? Or do you want to win?
On the Kobe thing... I mean really? Do I have to go into this? Look at the public personas that have been destroyed as a result of #MeToo. They may not hold executive powers but they have a significant influence on people's lives, we idolize them. And we are all starting to realize the danger of looking past their serious flaws, crimes, and misbehaviors. It's completely relevant.
"When have they demonstrated genuine, substantive care for any women other than their token pets?" The same can be said for many businesses with respect to minorities as well as women. People in the LGBTQ community experience the same sort of "concern". Veterans get it. Handicapped people get it. We do live in a country run by rich white males. That means that if one is not a rich white male one is considered unworthy of being cared about, listened to, or having a decent life.
9
It's clear this man should not have been hired.
But, please, stop with the endless Palace Intrigue stories. Really, NYTimes, how many articles are you going to do on this topic?
I am disheartened to open up my app to 70% Trump-related stories/opinion pieces everyday. I've been a subscriber for decades and miss the times when this paper offered exemplary journalism.
Those days are long behind us.
6
Many years ago, when the Times was still a great newspaper, the editors would have spiked this kind of nonsensical, over the top rant.
9
The NY Times is asking the wrong questions. The right questions are:
1. Why does Trump seek out deeply compromised people to work for him? Does this give him more power or control over them?
2. Even Gary Cohn, the apparent next Chief of Staff, was deeply compromised at Goldman Sachs and left under a cloud. Why not talk about that now instead of later.
3. Why are all of Trump's interactions with the Russians announced by the Russians? Is that part of the control which Russia has over Trump.
4. Why do Republicans support treason in the White House? There is no longer any doubt that Trump is a traitor yet the Republicans fail to stop him from further eroding the financial health, national security, and safety of the United States. What payoff is so big that it is worth our country?
Please ask better questions. The WH knew about Rob Porter from the beginning - that's why they hired him for such a key position. Why do they want compromised people working for them? Because that's what the Russians want! Get smart - ask the right questions and then you will get the Big Picture!
19
The big picture is this: D.C. is a small town. I lived and worked there for a political law firm for 5 years. Gossip passes through restaurants, bars, parties, et al. How many non-compromised successful people in D.C. wanted to join this tainted Administration? That might spike a career further down the road. Don't think of D.C. as NYC; it isn't. It is not as cosmopolitan as you might think, despite the international community there. There are many professionals who arrive to do a certain job, then leave; there are lawyers who are permanently there, specializing in various legal venues; there are neighborhoods with ordinary people who have always been there; it was segregated when I lived there; it was also very class conscious; a common question was: who do you work for? D.C. is also a beautiful city with lovely bridges, parks and monuments. The National Zoo and the Smithsonian are worth the trip.
5
Trump won't pay for his crimes in "hell" just like you won't be rewarded for your social justice in "heaven".
Successful people generally don't mind being shamed by the less privileged, because at the end of the day, they are still filthy rich. The occasional blow to one's ego through negative media coverage is a small price to pay for having the world at your fingertips.
9
the morality of spouse abuse is clearly relevant; BUT the issue which has no room for debate is security clearance.
Trump had to know that his chief adviser had NO clearance AND would get none.
To suggest he did not know is to proclaim his incompetence for POTUS. Oh, guess we already knew that...
Apparently, part of the problem is the Administration's serious
indifference to security clearance for Whitehouse personnel, beginning wth Trump family- but hardly ending there. this is
a national disgrace of critical I'mportance.
17
Let's try to look at this logically. A background check is done. Bad conduct is revealed. That conduct is reported to persons or offices at the White House. Nothing happens. A follow report is filed. Nothing happens. An inquiry is made back to the investigators. It is answered. Nothing happens. The file is closed. Nothing happens. Are we starting to see a trend here? Then a year later someone leaks the story to a British Newspaper. Something happens. The ex-wives are contacted and they corroborate the story. All hell breaks loose. Why was it leaked? It seems very likely that the leak took place either from the White House or from investigators because reports were made and nothing happened. Trump rails about leaks but leaks are the only reason we know about his and their misdeeds. They are the only reason corrections are made. It says something about a Presidency when the only people willing to serve it who both pass the loyalty test and pass the ideology test are so deeply flawed. Its kind of like dating Henry VIII. Eventually you are going to have a really bad day.
18
It is no wonder that good people look askance at working in this White House. This is a black hole that will suck you in and tear you to shreads. At the center is Donald Trump. But it is not enough to protest this destructive force. We must organize and respond with our votes to replace the Republicans with representatives that will act in the interests of the entire nation.
10
Past catching up department:
He's the product of a racist anachronism that's been allowed to continue to fester in the Constitution all these 250 years or so.
Just deserts.
5
I do not think it is fair that you lump all "white men" into this category. Yes, I get white male privilege, but do I really deserve to get thrown under the bus for something Rob Porter, John Kelly, and the White House did. Talk about a broad brush.
10
I don't think she is talking about you, Bruce, but men who have committed abuse and have the system protecting them. From your comment, it sounds like that isn't you.
2
Once an abuser, always an abuser. They never change. It's in their wiring. No moral compass.
8
djt demands loyalty first and foremost from the creatures he will have about his person. He has no moral compass and no compunctions about the character of any of his minions. Obviously. Look at them. If what we've heard is true, there is a private blood-oath contract on file somewhere binding Porter to his boss in terms far more emphatic than any wedding vow. Now trump whines in Porter's absence that it's all so unfair. Unlike a number of his other posse choices, Rob Porter could apparently at least do his job. The crimes of his personal life are of no consequence to djt who believes he could commit murder and suffer no punishment. Should not his pals be equally immune?
4
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Lindy West is a voice we need
For bringing her to us, NYT I thank you!
2
Anyone who beats women is subject to blackmail and does NOT belong near highly sensitive government documents.
14
Since the allegations have been public, Porter could have continue his work at the White House with no fear of blackmail.
What i like best about this article is that she links words with behavior. The very worst things the Republicans do is to cause meanings to dissolve away in Newspeak slogans. That allows Trump to prattle away about how he loves certain groups of people while he is, in practice, busily taking actions to make their lives miserable. Look at what people do, not what they say. Look at the results of policies, not what they say they will do.
Lindy West asks "If it is possible to simultaneously care about women and subordinate their wishes to yours, to prioritize your sexual urges over their bodily autonomy, then what does “care” even mean? I think it’s also fair to say that a man who lashes out at women with physical violence, as Porter allegedly has, harbors some degree of hatred for them. What else does “hatred” mean if not this — the object of our fury, the thing we love to hurt?
2
If Rob Porter is right-handed, how is it that Holderness has a bruise on her right eye? Doesn't that mean Porter would have to have hit her with a left hook? Unlikely Porter would have punched with his left. Right-handers always punch with their right. Only speculating and thinking out loud here, but we have to analyze these things if we are all going to call him guilty . . . I'm uncomfortable with deep-sixing someone's career just because they're accused of something by an embittered ex-spouse. Very convenient way to get rid of competent conservative -- and contrary to one of the most important principles our founding fathers valued: innocent until proven guilty.
You can (TRY to) explain Wife Beater Tendencies but you won't be able to explain the Lies in support of this Wife Beater by the WHouse or Why he resigned/fired when the Lies no longer could Shield his Carnage.
4
The editorial is like a movie that starts well and takes a broad detour at the end. The fact is that Mr. Porter violated the law. The WH had a responsibility to address this from the standpoint of the social issues. Also, the potential ability for Mr. Porter to be compromised. He, Mr. Porter, was an unsuitable choice and a risk. The WH, as usual, managed to make a mess of the issue. Which has nothing to do with artists, film, MeToo or much of the last part of the piece.
1
It perplexes me that someone could judge a person by different compartments of their life, and be okay with awful stuff in one, as long as they are good in another. This is flawed thinking, because our compartments overlap and clash with each other. We must be accountable to all of them, all of the time. Whatever happened to public servants, leaders being held up as role models for our young? Why do we even need to consider accepting someone of ill repute as a leader in government? Don't we have enough honorable people to "do justly, love mercy and walk humbly"? Yay for Gowdy and other Republicans for realizing this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated in public servants or presidents, even if the Evangelicals have compartmentalized the president's actions too. God does NOT!
3
Our patriarchal society and the societal inability to see outside of masculine perception is what makes this entire horror plausible. Until we understand and accept the fact that physical, sexual, and emotional abuses occur a minimum of 24 people per minute, we are not going to keep unstable people like Mr. Porter gaining the benefit and status of working in our government. He needs treatment. Not a job.
4
Tell it, Ms. West -- and never stop, there's been too much silence on this issue for much too long.
No, you can't balance out violence toward women, men, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, cats, dogs or any other vulnerable sentient life form by being otherwise "competent" in your daily conduct. As for the security clearance issue, I would be equally concerned with the possibility of Porter being black mailed over this except that would require something like a conscience or remorse, and like his boss, DJT, Porter seems to have neither.
7
Outstanding perspective and very well written. I agree that combatting inter-generational poverty and ignorance is the real playing field for progress in our human society. I agree that the current Administration is much more an avatar for mythical mid-20th-century nostalgia than a beacon for progress into an inclusive and expanding future.
6
I don’t think MAGA refers to the mid 20th century. I think it’s more accurate to place MAGA between the late 1800s and the first few decades in the 20th century, that golden age when ex-slaves realized what “freedom” really meant for them and women couldn’t vote.
5
So the (other) candidates for the job(s) were that much worse than Porter's and his Fight Record?
4
Let's put aside judgement of Alfred Hitchcock and Miles Davis, deceased artists of the past century, and regard it as historical documentation of how women were revered and mistreated. Women of today's era have demonstrated their abilities as equals and must be acknowledged with equal respect as men!
2
How can someone be given clearance, or being put in a position of responsibility, when he can be so easily blackmailed! This is a clear case of extreme irresponsibility, even if we take out all moral standards.
7
Yes, the Trump administration is openly misogynistic. That should not come as a surprise or scandal at this point, but rather as one of the best reasons for resisting its power.
That said, I disagree that compartmentalization is fundamentally a sickness. It is fundamentally a sign of rational thought. A person can be a great mathematician but be a terrible pastry chef. A great artist, but with anger management issues. And yes, a competent secretary, but a lowlife abuser at home.
We should not confuse whether we dislike someone with whether they possess a skill. It is not necessary to intentionally conflate and confuse the two. Rather, we should ask the correct question: in my judgment, should this person hold office? This does not require eschewing logic to claim that merit and context are indistinguishable.
It is quite the new American sickness, actually, to suggest that important liberal ideas such as freedom of speech and representational democracy should be held invalid simply because the people that enshrined them into a constitution also lacked the moral fiber to end slavery. We seem to be believing in a fairy tale version of human nature, in which people are either good or bad, and completely ignoring the reality that all humans are complex and fallible.
This new illiberal rage, in which any complexity that violates our safe spaces must be eradicated, is not healthy. Pretending all variables are one is a false ease that works in neither algebra nor real life.
2
The confusion over conflicting Rob Porter timelines is that the security clearance process doesn’t end when the FBI ends its background check investigation, as many people believe and as the New York Time pretends to believe. The FBI does not grant or deny security clearances, except for FBI employees. It sends the result of background checks to federal agencies, which then begin the process of determining whether an employee should receive a security clearance. The end of the FBI investigation is the end of the first phrase of the security clearance process.)FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the FBI sent its completed background check to the White House in November, but then sent additional information earlier this month. The security clearance process was still underway when Porter resigned, probably as the result of the additional information. Except for this new information, he probably would have been granted a security clearance despite allegations of domestic violence. The security clearance process was never completed due to the resignation. As a result, Porter was never granted or denied a permanent security clearance.
1
As someone who has had a front row seat to family addictions such as gambling, drugs, and drinking, I know addictive behavior when I see it. The lies, the posing, the hidden behaviors, and ultimately, the ever-present denials. These men are addicts and their drugs are power and control.
These men need intense therapy and help. Some might make it and some won't, but therapy is their only hope. Addictions destroy the lives of the abuser, the abused, and the families around them, and in a macro sense, they can destroy our communities, our workplaces, and our political systems.
It's really hard to love an addict, but at some point, they need our compassion and we need the healing. This healing means more to me than the truth.
3
How do you arrive at Healing w/o Truth and the responsibility inherit with facing the Truth?
With addiction, the truth to those around the addict is all too clear and useless to point out to the abuser. The addiction always overrides the truth and so truth to the addict is meaningless. Remember, he's in denial. I've beat my head against this wall to no avail with my loved ones.
In the Porter case, we can continue to berate him but I doubt that he's taking us seriously. If anyone around him cares for his wellbeing, they will get him to a therapist who will peel away his cover and get to why he behaves in such a destructive way. That's the only truth that counts if we want these men to change. Not yours, not mine, not the collective, only Rob's.
The question is now: Do we want them to change or do we just want to start tossing them away, Trump style?
1
The good news is that Mr. Porter may be prohibited from buying a gun from a dealer or in some states from having a gun. Federal Form 4473 and a background check is required when purchasing a gun from a dealer and one question asked is :
"Are you subject to a court order restraining you from harassing, stalking, or threatening your child or an intimate partner or child of such partner? "
5
A lot of people separated Richard Wagner's crude and venomous anti semitism from his undeniably majestic and towering music! Look, sadly there are millions of Americans, including lots of women, who think, so what, he pushed around and abused his wives! The guy did a good job in his duties in the White House! Welcome to the moral compass America finds itself in circa 2018! As they use to say in the old neighborhood; The fish rots from the head! Nauseating! ( And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea, is beginning to sound so quaint and Twentieth Century!).
2
As always Lindy, you go directly to the heart of such complicated matters and take a deep look at them. Denial is an extremely primitive defense, but this administration is extremely primitive, hateful and cruel. Towards women, POC, the LGBTQ community, the planet, other species, the disabled, children, the impoverished, the list is too long to name who they hate and treat like garbage. Thank you for calling them out yet again. We can only hope Mr. Mueller has criminal goods on the whole lot of them and that it comes out fast!!!
10
What the White House knew? The White House is an edifice. If you’re implying that someone higher up than Kelly knew;duh, the President, perhaps you should say so.
The GOP would support Vladimir Putin for POTUS if he said he was a Republican. They've fully, clearly shown that they care nothing about America's future, integrity and standing - it's party first, middle and last at the beck and call of corporate and Russian donors. Many of us hope you can take back your nation from these kidnappers. Organize, campaign, vote and rid yourselves of what can only be called filth.
8
Just why should we be surprised about anything that comes out of the White House. They lie for one another unabashedly. What amazes me is that the holier than thou supporters of that deplorable fake president turn the other cheek even after one of his questionable attorneys admits to paying off the porn star he had an affair with. Why is he above the law........how low can our country sink.
7
Lindy:
Re: The Daily Mail comment. We ALL get our news from The Daily Mail (the NYT too, of course). It is must-read news these days. Sloppy, yes, but rarely wrong and often the first to run important stories or to flesh them out before they appear in the American press...
6
Lindy you are a breath of fresh air (and humor)in the Times. Thank you for your nuanced but never passive critique of the Porter stuff and your extrapolation to the broader American culture.
4
The White House lied, that's obvious. What's most important though is that it hasn't condemned domestic violence! Two women were domestically abused and one even had a restraining order against Porter yet trump and Kelly praised him! And at the same time, we've just learned that the president's private lawyer paid off a porn star. Honestly, I feel like I'm on another planet. That these things are happening in the WH, and that we have a president who himself has been accused of sexual harassment by over 18 women is appalling. I miss the good old days of No Drama Obama.
12
When staff or contributing associates of an institution criticizes another institution for lack of prompt due diligence, yet the accusing institution acts in a similar manner, does their message carry less credence?
It is ironic that the NY Times found themselves in a similar position to the White House (to a much lesser degree) with the announcement of the appointment than the sudden retraction of Quinn Norton on the same day, yesterday.
After a Twitter Storm, The Times and a New Hire Part Ways https://nyti.ms/2BV8GmV
Perhaps the NYT does not have the investigative power of the FBI, however if an institution like the NYT cannot even check on what a potential opinion writer has written in a public forum such as Twitter in advance, what message does this send?
That they made a mistake and corrected it?
Obviously they did, but perhaps it is their own history of bad judgement that makes them experts giving them the credence to be critical of other institutions.
Anyone with a smidgen of common sense knows the White House knew. Anyone who's worked in any office knows there is a grapevine, a gossip line, a juicy narrative that runs rampant through any organization.
During Watergate, one infamous question sustained, "what did the president know and when did he know it?" It became thee cliched clarion call for investigators used till today. And in the end, we find out they all knew, Nixon and all the president's men. And so it will come to pass in this case. The Trump administration, the gang that couldn't shoot straight, the most incompetent administration in modern times, from the top down, will be found to be in on this latest scandal.
In the 1970's, we had to wonder with Richard Nixon, aka Tricky Dicky. We knew he was not a stupid man, far from it. There was a good chance Dick was behind the cover-up but no one thought that Nixon would be the one to hang himself with his own tapes. The sheer irony. And yet, we came to discover that despite Nixon's cleverness, he and his men did do stupid things.
Now, picture Trump and his cronies. Look at his myriad fumbles, debacles already known to be committed. Look at Trump's constant lying, buttressed by the bold-faced lies his staff tells daily to protect him.
You tell me. What did Trump know and when did he know it?
DD
Manhattan
6
The content of the Pentagon Papers had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the Nixon administration. In fact, they were finalized and delivered 11 days prior to Nixon's January 1969 inauguration. JFK started Americanization of the Vietnam war. LBJ made it into a giant intractable mess that was tearing the country apart. Because the war was financed by printing money instead of taxes, inflation was a problem. Also, the aggressive evangelical nature of Soviet Communism was a very real threat. Nixon was elected to fix this debacle. He and Kissinger developed a complex political strategy with many intricate moving parts that ultimately did solve the problem. (The opening to China was partly intended to drive a wedge between the USSR and China.)
What did the New York Times do with the Pentagon Papers? They decided to embarrass and hinder Nixon's efforts by making this secret document public. It was not made clear that it represented a JFK and LBJ problem and not a Nixon problem. But Nixon was expected to pay the political price of his predecessors' mistakes and allow them to hinder his work. The liberal biased Supreme Court allowed this to happen. That was a very wrong decision.
In that context, one can see how something like Watergate could have happened.
In 1974, Nixon and Ted Kennedy were working on universal health care. If they could compromise as was expected, a plan far more comprehensive than Obamacare would have emerged. Look up Catherine Mackin's NBC report on YouTube.
Dear J.T. Stasiak:
I don not need to look up a report on U-Tube. I was there, so I have no idea what you are talking about. What you write is gibberish.
You obviously are not familiar with the subject of the story. Its title, "What the White House Knew" comes from the Watergate hearings. They have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the Pentagon Papers. Yet you insist on making one. Why is that?
Did you read this piece?
The Pentagon Papers were given first to the Times, then the Wash Post by Daniel Ellsberg, who worked for the Rand Corporation. The Times was first to print them, but were halted by an injunction in the Courts. That left the Post to published them.
The Papers did not cover the period of the Nixon administration yet you state the were released to embarrass Nixon? Wrong. The thing Nixon and Kissinger were culpable of was the ransacking of Ellsberg's psychiatrist office after the Papers were released. Ellsberg worked for Kissinger, and they were paranoid. The break-in was uncovered during the investigation conducted into the Watergate break-in, which had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the Pentagon Papers.
Watergate had to do with Nixon obstructing justice, just as Trump is doing now, to prevent the government from investigating Nixon's culpability in the break-in of the DNC HQ in the Watergate Complex.
You obviously do not have a clue what you're talking about. Next time be sure to check your sources. Yours are highly unreliable.
DD
Manhattan
3
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified yesterday that the FBI delivered “additional information” about Rob Porter to the White House “earlier this month.” This confirms what White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said last week. She said the White House got the “full details” only a few day ago.
Rob Porter’s first wife told the Daily Mail that she got the black eye when her husband punched her as they argued in their hotel room while vacationing in Europe. “I think it shocked him and it shocked me. It never happened again, it was a one-time thing," she said.
Porter denies he punched her. According to ABC News, he told senior White House staffers she got the black eye as the two struggled over a Venetian glass vase that she was about to smash to the floor. He said she got the black eye as she fell to the floor.
The “one-time thing” happened in 2005, when Porter was in his twenties; he is now 40-years-old. There was no arrest and no criminal charges. The White House would not have denied Porter a security clearance based on the incident, even if it believed the first wife’s version of the incident. Federal agencies can waive even criminal convictions if they want, but Porter has no criminal record.
Porter reigned because the Daily Mail published the black eye photo.
1
You'd have to combine that photo with the fact they lied and attested to his character and competence.
6
Porter is a Rhodes Scholar who had an established a reputation for competence during a decade of service as a member of Senate staff become moving to the White House. The White House staff members weren't lying when they said the Rob Porter they knew is deferent from the Rob Porter his ex-wives described. seemed to be of high character. Even Porter's ex-wife described the incident as a "one-time thing." It happen when he was in his twenties; he is now 40-years-old.
Few people go through life without s stumble. In November 2016, President Obama called on Congress to follow a growing number of states, cities, and private companies that have decided to “ban the box” on job applications. He meant the box on job application forms that job applicants must check if they have ever been charged or convicted of a crime. Since Rob Porter had no criminal charges or convictions on his record, he has never had to check the box, but at age forty he has lost a promising federal career due to allegations he never had the chance to defend himself against in a court of law.
1
Actually he LOST it because He Resigned. Obama wasn't there when he was hired or when he chose to quit.
But I know who was.
6
Short quiz about the 30-40 longterm uncleared WH individuals with access to Top Secret and TS/SCI info:
Q. Who said, "This is not just extreme carelessness with classified material, which is still totally disqualifying. This is calculated, deliberate, premeditated misconduct."
A. Donald Trump (about Hillary Clinton), July 11, 2016
Q. Who said, "Any other government workers who engaged in such serious offenses would, at a minimum, have their clearances suspended pending an investigation. The failure to do so has given the public the impression that Secretary Clinton and her associates received special treatment.”
A. Chuck Grassley, March 30, 2017
Q. Who said, "The consequences for the safety of our nation are grave. Clinton’s actions may have allowed our enemies to access intelligence vital to our national security."
A. Paul Ryan, July 13, 2016
Q. Who said, "When Democrats mishandle classified information, they are earnest progressives who understandably suffer the occasional lapse while struggling to make the international community a better place. When Republicans do it, they are incompetent morons."
A. Andrew McCarthy, National Review, May 16, 2017.
Hmm, on rereading, that last question does bring up some other interesting questions about competence.
3
Hope Hicks' memoir is coming out soon, titled "50 Shades of Black and Blue", with a forward by Gloria Allred. In her picture on the back cover she's wearing Ivanka branded over-large sunglasses so we can't see the shiner she's sporting. I'm told the really prurient and tawdry parts will be excerpted in the Enquirer before publication. Expect the white house to dney ever knowing her, describing her as a loser, hanger-on, and make some reference to female biology they find especially icky.
5
What all these op-ed pieces miss is what is in plain view: the White House did not see any problems with staff secretary Rob Porter---none. So, he beats his wives---what's the problem. So the President has sex with a porn star, what's the problem. The media just doesn't get it...this White House, and unfortunately, a significant group of followers, see nothing wrong with spousal abuse or infidelity.
14
Black woman sitting here watching White women realize Donald Trump only has one use for them and he has no intention to Make their America Great Again. You voted for this!
Someone should ask Porter’s wives if they voted Republican- the odds are they and their families did.
Ps: Sorry NYT. I know I am supposed to be quiet and listening to Trump Voters but some of them should have listened to us because We told you so!
20
What is to be expected when the President of the United States is plainly a sex offender? One of many ways that America is poisoned by Donald Trump.
11
Earth to the White House: stop lying and spinning, and just tell the truth!
This is a lesson for everyone: don’t lie.
3
With each passing week there is more evidence of what we all knew in 2016: Trump is unfit, unhinged, and immoral.
So he ends up with a staff of relatives, wife beaters, inveterate liars, perjurers and creepy opportunists -- many of whom, no surprise, cannot get security clearances because they've led bad lives, a product of them being not what one would call "good people."
We can continue to be shocked as more of the degeneracy comes to light, but this really was foreseeable. And, yes, I have made zero progress understanding the Trump voters. They really are to blame for this ongoing nightmare of scandal and disgrace.
6
Everyone needs to take domestic violence more seriously. This includes sanctuary cities. When illegal immigrants finish serving their sentences for domestic abuse, they need to be turned over to ICE for deportation.
Or send them to WHouse for a year. That seems to be how long you can work there after beating your wive(s) and girlfriend.
6
It s a bridge too far to suggest that Porter hates all women because he abused his wife. It is far more likely that he hit his wife because he was angry at her as a human vs her as a woman. In domestic abuse situations, I am pretty sure that the trigger for abuse is probably more directly cause and effect. This does not justify his actions, but it is a step out of the noxious world West seems to live in, where one’s genitalia means more that one’s mind and personality.
1
Noted but you'll need a lot more to explain the lying about it.
3
The military has long protected sexual abusers and predators, so Kelly is comfortable with that culture. And Trump...well, nothing need be said. We all know he has no soul.
9
Disturbing and insulting to the American people that a man without FBI security clearance and a serial abuser was not only allowed in the White House but protected by Donald and John Kelly!
When will the congressional Republicans get sick of all the lawlessness, LIES, scandals and collusion with Putin?! Republicans have no integrity, no moral compass!
4
The fact that Donald Trump was kinda elected president is a stunning example of how little so many Americans value integrity and moral character. When the leader of the free world is himself a misogynist, abuser, liar and cheat, it is no wonder that his administration is full of abusers, deniers, apologists, and dissemblers. Trump cannot acknowledge or apologize for Porter's crimes, since it would be tantamount to admitting his own.
4
I saw a post here yesterday that grabbed at me, if only trump vetted his staff as intensely as he wants immigrants from Islamic countries vetted.
8
Impeccable as usual, Lindy. Fiercely, searingly intelligent.
1
Your comments are insightful and so needed. We are living under a misogynistic, patriarchal and self-flattering regime: Trump et al are an ugly force thrust upon this nation. They do mean to put women back in chastity belts and keep them under subjugation. But this country seems sleepy to understand the impact of having a man in the WH who denigrates women, the poor, and any person who is not white and male. The culture is dark, and its citizens ripe for exploitation.
4
So where are Ivanka and Melania in this debacle? I suppose they are out shopping for those designer clothing. The Trump family has no morals or integrity.
Kelly Ann Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders have sold their souls and self worth for Donald Trump. Hope Hicks should be fired. Didn't Steve Bannon say Hope Hicks was not very bright? I can't believe I am quoting another woman abuser. Bannon also was said to hit his wife.
What is happening to our country? We are being over run and governed by people with no moral compass or ethics. But what can you expect when you have a president who has no ethics or morals. And when the Republicans hide behind closed doors. The Republicans have sold their souls to the devil and the devil's name is Trumpism.
7
One look at the enormous number sexual assaults of women in all branches of the military explains why a retired Marine Corps general has no problem supporting and promoting a wife beater on the White House staff. The military's advice to women who are raped and assaulted is to get over it. Kelly values competence, obedience, hard work and loyalty. What Porter did to his ex-wives and girlfriends is of no concern to the general as long as he's doing his job.
4
You can be good at your job and still be a monster at home. By separating the two, you understand that life is not black and white. If you're good at your job, does that then mean you can't be a wifebeater? The value, however, of being good at your job vs. beating your wife, is totally misplaced. If you're abusive at home, the bad outweighs the good of performing a job well done. It's very dangerous to think in extremes when coming to conclusions about people. No one is all bad or all good.
So, what is the upshot? Is someone who has allegations of domestic abuse lodged against them - and, in this case, not charged or convicted - never allowed to hold a job again?
2
Not a job that requires a security clearance....
4
There is no reason why a security clearance should make a difference. The reasoning is purely punitive.
2
When does bad behavior preclude one from having a job? What should be the bar? I appreciate that in politics, bad behavior reflects poorly on politicians who hire the offenders or who are, in fact, the offenders themselves. But, should Rob Porter never work again? What about Al Franken? What about all of the people who have actually been convicted of crimes? Should no former felon be allowed to work? Should the poor black felon be held to the same standard as Rob Porter? There are no easy answers to this, and I certainly don't have one. But we start down a slippery slope when we start hiring workers based on some arbitrary moral standard rather than on how well they perform their job. I suggest that we let "he who is blameless," fire the first employee.
2
Trump personally refused to allow his staff to get the ethics and due diligence training that has been customary and regarded as necessary by other recent administrations. As he repeatedly declined the training, Trump consciously chose to have an unethical administration. Within days, that choice was underscored by the revelation that Michael Flynn had behaved unethically and was vulnerable to blackmail and poor judgment, only to have Trump and Company embrace the man, who has since pleaded guilty to a felony, and try to obstruct justice for that "good guy" after he was fired. The decision to protect Porter despite evidence that he had a history of unethical behavior that rendered him compromised fits the same pattern. This is not news.
What makes the Porter scandal worse is that a key player in the administration became intimately involved with this compromised individual and not only put herself in danger, but compromised herself to the point that she was directly involved in covering up for Porter. That person is Hope Hicks, who has been a confidante and gatekeeper for Trump for many years.
If #MeToo is to have any credibility, its supporters need to leave gender bias behind and recognize that Miss Hicks, who is much closer to the power of the presidency than was Porter, compromised her duty to the country to seek out an intimate, intra-office relationship with an unethical and vulnerable employee. She was literally sleeping with the enemy -- and defending him.
6
Ms. West is correct. Human beings do separate, do have two minds in many situations. As other comments note, the separation, the divided mind is not always an evil. It can be necessary if we as individuals and if the human enterprise can survive.
It seems from recent discussions that some among us have never acted "inappropriately" (whatever that may mean), especially in relation to female-male relationships. There is a old popular prayer that asks for our "trespasses" to be forgiven. Whether we can or should forgive ourselves for our mistakes, our wrongful actions -- that's another question.
Recently Senator Gillibrand said that Al Franken was her "friend." When she acted in anger to deny her Senate friend a fair hearing, choosing instead to mount a campaign that drove him from office -- was that friendship, "a perfect blendship"?
Ms. West admits she does not have ideal solutions to this separation of the person's good qualities from the bad, the artist from the art. At the same time, the anger that has caused and will continue to cause both the accused and the guilty loss of employment, reputation, finances, health -- in some instances in loss of life -- strikes some as another kind of abuse.
The vitriol also seems to eliminate the possibility of the wrongdoer being able through self-analysis to change for the better. Most of us do "learn from our mistakes" from childhood onward. Casting stones is a revealing sport.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
1
Lindy West's columns are the highlight of the opinion section. Insightful, incisive and beautifully crafted. Keep 'em coming.
1
Taking into consideration the fact that both Porter and his wives families know more than the public at large (including moralizing from national media), I'm curious as to how they addressed a serious issue of abuse. What advice was given? What were the circumstances? Considering the heinous acts involved, did family, friends, etc confront Porter?
I'm leery of the all too easy high minded moralizing from a distance which seems to be endemic within our culture. Easy to be outraged, harder to find out more information and make a judgement.
1
The only good news I found in this sad and appalling situation is that apparently Rob Porter did not have children with either of his two abused ex-wives. Having been the only child of a physically and emotionally abusive marriage I had a front row seat to the horrors of wife beating.
I make no judgment of the people who voted for Trump. However, this situation has convinced me that those in charge at the White House are not only incompetent but are truly deplorable.
5
No, Trump and his flunkies don't respect women. They also don't respect the truth, the rule of law, electoral integrity, the dedication and sacrifice many Americans have made in trying to improve their country and on and on.
They represent all that is worst in this country and if all of us who oppose their unpatriotic thuggery can stand together without our usual in-fighting and name-calling, perhaps we can take back the House in November, as a first step to taking back our country.
3
I don't think wife-beaters hate women, I think they hate themselves.
Sorry, and I should have included 'fear'. They don't hate women, they hate and fear themselves. IMHO
I confess to moments of unease about specific instances of the rough justice currently being exacted by #MeToo and #TimesUp against perpetrators. However, I remind myself that throughout centuries of time women have had to endure, without nuance or redress or discussion, unfair treatment. Civilization has apparently finally evolved enough for this to be corrected. But change, even righteous change, is hard.
It is not only the offending men who will have to change their views and behavior, but all of us, including honorable men, and women. Penalties that are swift, certain and severe are essential for such a fundamental transformation; losing one's livelihood is universally and instantly feared and understood.
2
If Lindy West were any more brilliant, she'd blind us all.
2
What makes her brilliant? Most of us who know any history know that Washington's wife owned slaves, and that he freed them upon her death. We know that Jefferson had slaves. Perhaps it is time to remind those who are digging up old bad history about the Founding Fathers, they formed an official country approx. 230 yrs. ago. They gave us a free country.
"What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men ...."
Sociopaths have no color, gender, or creed.
1
True!! Except I'd used "no specific" and added "Status".
2
I agree Mr Henry. The difference is that certain color/gender combinations are far more likely to receive a pass for their behavior. That is, quite simply, a perk of belonging among the powerful.
3
Cut to the chase.....
The title of your article can be summed up:
White House Lies....AGAIN.
10
Bravo Lindy!
7
Not to belittle this, but can we please move on?
A man who beats women is a monster. But so what? There are plenty of monsters in government who do worse--enabling corporations that distribute deadly products to unknowing folks would be just one example. In this case, the key public policy question is whether Porter could have been blackmailed, and, since allegations are contained in public court documents, that wouldn't seem to apply. Trump's affair with a porn star would seem much more dangerous to the public interest, yet NYT (perhaps because the story was broken by a competitor) has given this short shrift.
End of day, none of this has told us anything we didn't already know. We already knew that Trump and those around him are incapable of telling the truth. We already knew that Trump has a horrible attitude toward women. In short, we already knew that the president and those around him are a bunch of scuzz buckets you'd throw out of your house if they dared show up on your doorstep.
And so, this isn't much help in the scheme of things. I'm much more interested in what Trump himself has done, or not done, than what some two-bit cog in his machinery has tried to get away with.
6
Dammit, Lady, you can write! And, write searing truths. Thank you.
8
The Times would do well to have more op-ed writers like Lindy West.
12
Lindy West 2020!
2
Perhaps there's someone out there they could hire who's a great staff secretary who doesn't beat his wife. Hmmm, I wonder if there are any people like that out there. Can't set the bar much lower.
2
People used to care about character. Once a person's morals counted for something. But now the highest office in the land is held by a man who lacks both. What the hell happened to us?
11
Lindy West is a hell of a writer. Congrats on hiring her.
9
Good God, really? This is one of the weakest, most poorly argued pieces I've ever read. Atop insane generalizations about men (pretty standard hate for a West piece), she builds the whole piece on the deadly logic that allegations equal guilt. Should we extend that to all crimes and just toss the legal system? This seems to be the world Ms. West is fervently advocating for.
2
brilliant op-ed. Lindy, keep up the naming and calling out of lies and delusions that continue to secure violence and exclusion for so many human beings (yes, women are human beings).
1
The most disturbing aspect of the Porter scandal is that he was exposed to information that he had no right to see because he didn't have the appropriate security clearance. White House officials knew Porter only had interim clearance, yet they allowed him access to high-level information he should not have had. Yes, his treatment of his wife was abhorrent and he should have been fired the minute that came to light. But, of equal or more importance is the casual handling of our nation's secrets and security by a White House that is oblivious to the danger, a chief of staff that lies about the timeline of who-knew-what-and when, and a president that cares more about whether his staff is loyal than the safety of the country. At the very least, John Kelly should be fired for his part in this display of incompetence and deceit.
125
Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness
were brave to speak out. A personal
situation such as theirs is embarrassing
and humiliating to reveal. Abuse crosses all
socioeconomic, educational, religious lines.
No one should be self-righteous. Most people
"compartmentalize" for as long as possible.
When things are good, they can be very
good. The abuse is often a storm that passes.
The victim is debased; his/her self-worth
diminishes which makes self-advocacy all the more
difficult to express and address.
Judgement is placed on the victim by their friends.
Finally there is a breaking point.
Jennie Willoughby's blog post "Why I stayed..."
offers an excellent description and explanation.
My heart goes out to her...
On the surface things can look so good...two
beautiful, accomplished women; a man out
of "central casting" with Harvard and Rhodes
credentials who caused them suffering.
As you note, White House also
compartmentalized, focusing
on Mr. Porter's good work.
I cannot get inside of the mind of an abuser
but, from my experience, they minimize and
rationalize their vile acts. The partner plays
their part in acting out a happy facade while
suffering in a confused state.
In this case, the two women sought help
and have emerged with tremendous poise,
knowledge and psychological strength.
I hope that Rob Porter,
and others who commit abuse, will face their
demons and get help.
1
Fantastic column.
I can't help but wonder what other criminal behaviors Ex-general Kelly allowed in his command. So much for the assumption that being a general means you are a person of honor. This former military leader has given new meaning to what it means to be dishonorable.
1
Who cares if he was a great secretary? Character matters far more than job performance. Did you miss that lesson somewhere along the line?
1
Apparently Porter was the product of the best schools and a privileged family. This is one of thousands of cases of spousal abuse by men who have a public persona that is thoroughly appropriate. Abusers come in every socio-economic status, every level of education, every race, religion, sexual orientation and every other demographic. It may be your doctor, your gardener, your hairstylist or one of your relatives or friends. There are many complex reasons why women do not always pursue criminal charges, mainly fear. How many cases have occurred where abusers have murdered their partner despite there being a restraining order in place?
Due process is part of the criminal justice system, not workplaces, however most employment contracts include a clause stating that conduct that would reflect badly on the employer will be cause for dismissal. So, there is a process that would apply in the workplace, especially at this high level. The problem is that in this White House, the person in the Oval Office has himself abused women with his sexual aggression. He has not addressed the Porter situation publicly despite being asked for a comment. Although he should have no hesitation condemning this abuse, he is sensitive about this issue with good reason, just as he refuses to condemn Putin and Russia for interference in the election lest it diminish what he considers his great victory.
6
The Trump White House egregiously mismanaged this debacle, especially as it relates to problems regarding securing a security clearance. But I take exception to: “I think it’s also fair to say that a man who lashes out at women with physical violence, as Porter allegedly has, harbors some degree of hatred for them.”
I was in a relationship over 10 years ago that was going down an evil rabbit hole. One day, as the arguing escalated, my SO punched me in the face. Knowing that I could NEVER strike a woman, I picked up the cordless phone and ran outside to call 911 before the situation devolved even further. As I walked to the front of the house, I was met my a police officer, while another consoled my “mate” on the front porch, who was sporting a puffy black eye. I was handcuffed and taken to a holding cell for 12 hours, leaving me to review in my head whether I had blacked out and did the unthinkable. It wasn’t until a week later that I learned my former mate had taken a glass candle holder to her own eye. And it ended up that I had to pay her a large sum of money to get her to not testify for the state.
Now I understand this is anecdotal, and not the norm, but people of this nature, of all genders, do exist. If I had NOT paid her, you would have labeled me as harboring “some degree of hatred” for women. Nothing justifies striking women, but I am a firm believer that anyone is capable of striking another, if pushed enough. I don’t believe hatred enters into the equation.
So because of these allegations he should never have a job again?
1
How does resigning from a WHouse Position preclude from having a Job again?
Wait, Nixon resigned and i don't believed he was HIRED for another position,..so you may be ON Something?
Are you advocating he should still be working at the WHouse,... why, because he didn't kill any of his victims?
3
@Asher B
Because of his behavior.
2
Speaking about Rob Porter, Paul Ryan told the Washington Post today ""Clearly, I think clearly — come on — clearly we should all be condemning domestic violence," Ryan said. "If a person who commits domestic violence gets in government, then there's a breakdown in the system. There's a breakdown in the vetting system, and that breakdown needs to be addressed."
"Come on," Paul, how come this applies to Rob Porter and not Donald Trump?
7
Violence towards women indicates emotional instability and suppressed anger on the part of men like Mr. Porter. Obviously he could charm the women into marriage. He also charmed Mr Kelly in the short term. It was only a matter of time before Mr. Porter's emotional state adversely affected his work at the White House. I hope Mr Porter gets professional help.
62
Hope he gets secular professional help. His church didn't help him in the long run by advising his ex-wives to stay quiet about the domestic abuse that they suffered.
2
All too believable. It is a very sad and sorry and sickening state when a man reported for domestic abuse and assault is regarded by the President's chief of staff as "...one of the few competent professionals on his staff and wanted to ensure that he was being used to his full potential.” The Trump administration is an unqualified and unmitigated disaster.
2
Usually, the abuser was himself abused. I'd be feeling mighty uncomfortable if I were Porter's father. Shame and suspicion -- well deserved if he started this cycle of violence.
2
That is also true. That or they were in an environment where abuse (towards women in particular) is the norm?
2
Good point, but it could easily have been his mother instead or as well as his father.
1
The first of these I seen forgiveness even brought up. My question is when can a man or women accused of a crime work in the public sector again? Are they banished forever? Can they live a good life after? If we are to banish every person who has failed in their life before we may block a good portion of the public out of public life. Just a thought, heck liberals believe in second chances for those who leave prison so whats the standard here?
You do know this is the WHouse yes? Where they/he lied about his past (abuse) yes?
But more importantly (to your point, that is) there's thousands of jobs in this country where the FBI doesn't investigate your Background,..where Porter could beat Women In Peace in the cloak of anonymity.
He did work for a Senator previously.
2
So you are saying essentially they should only work in the private sector. Does a man or woman have an opportunity to rehab themselves and return? Or no?
What part of the fact that he's a security risk don't you understand?
1
It should be no surprise that the Administration gets its intelligence from the Daily Mail because it also gets it from Fox News. Why worry.
2
Unfortunately, it is completely believable that in this incompetent white house one office had the info and didn't take it to the office next door. It is also believable that they knew the info would tick off the big boss so just ducked it.
1
Perfect analysis.
2
Just imagine if Obama had given a black man on his staff with the same horrid background the same responsibilities that Trump gave Porter. Fox News would giving a prime time show to each of the victims.
14
A great essay, but has anyone thought about how all of this is
deflecting attention from Trump's budget which begins the
evisceration of Medicare? The Republicans often talk about the
Russia investigation not letting the president get on with his
agenda. Now, with Trey ("Benghazi") Gowdy perhaps starting up an
investigation into the Porter situation, they seem to welcome the spotlight
shifting away from the president's awful budget proposal.
People can pay attention to several issues. It's called being an adult.
3
Interesting parallels and contrasts with Ray Rice.
It's not until the photo (or video) comes out that the allegations get any real credence in the media and public.
Although both involved cover-ups, and lies about when those in charge were aware of the evidence, the NFL moved swiftly once the video was out and essentially banned Ray Rice for life. In contrast, Trump still praises Porter.
The most violent sport in America--which may literally be killing its own players through repetitive head injuries--showed more decency, understanding and common sense that the ostensible president.
Someone should superimpose the black-eye photo with Trump wishing Porter the best in his future endeavors. This man is not fit to represent America.
" What is that but carelessness and hate on a global scale? "
Pure, unadulterated greed. The greed drives the carelessness and hate. As does the (clearly false) belief in their own superiority.
Principals at the White House (Kelly, Cohen, and others) knew Portman could not get a security clearance, but decided to keep him on anyway. When the FBI says they made an interim report back in April 2017, that means they found something that would prevent him from getting a top secret clearance. The White House would not have done anything and Porter would still be there had not the story broke and the pictures come out. The WH has been lying for 7 days to cover this up. General Kelly was supposed to be a man of honor and dignity. We find him severely deficit of both. And he is becoming as accomplished a liar as his boss.
1
I agree with Ms. West's main point which is that the behavior of Porter and the administration in general is intolerable. However I have a problem with her claim that the behavior is caused by misogyny or hatred of women. Behavior like this is likely due to an archaic and misguided view of the "proper" role of women together with a general acceptance of bullying. I expect that hatred is given as the motive because it sounds more inflammatory and is more likely to get readers angry. We will do a better job of fighting sexism if we have an honest understanding of the forces at work.
What alarms me is that Trump received so much support from white women on his march to the White House and then on Election Day. I believe it was at about 52% support with approximately 4 out of 10 college educated white women and then about 6 of 10 non college educated white women supporting him.
I keep wondering when a larger backlash will grow. We are seeing it but it is nowhere near where one would expect considering the total disregard this administration has for women and women's rights.
I don't know everyone knew going in they didn't respect ethnic minorities so by extension them not accepting women of ethnic background wasn't surprising. However this lack of regard for a large part of their "base" should wake some people up.
Not to just Trump and his administration but just the vast silence that is coming from the GOP on this issue.
A very thought provoking article that goes a step too far, in my opinion. Trying to place the sins-of-the-father in the same category as the sins-of-thyself is too broad. The ongoing abuse by Mr. Weinstein and our struggle to decide how to now look at his artistic work is subtly different from an analysis of how [let's go back really far] the totalitarian regimes of Rome and ancient China should be handled: with appreciation for the wide-spread social, economic, technological advances; condemnation for the atrocities; or a combination of both.
The reason: civilizations of yonder yore operated under a different set of ethics than we have currently. It is unfair to sit here in a post-materialistic society and pass overarching judgement on societies that were not. Instead, the corruption and horrors of prior eras should be viewed in the same light as the all history: as a lesson to be built upon. The sins-of-our-fathers MUST be compartmentalized for us to properly learn from their mistakes.
Mr. Weinstein (and others) do not currently have that luxury. Their abuses are against the core of our ethics, and they know it. They are living with us, now. How can we not condemn them, boycott them? To do otherwise is to trivialize our own ethics.
I imagine my grandchildren will someday learn of Mr. Wienstien's (and Mr. Hitchcock's) production techniques, with an asterisk and a footnote: at what cost? For the present, he deserves nothing less than our contempt.
8
An excellent piece. I hope she writes one about the complicity of Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan next. They are among what many thought were the cooler heads that would prevail in the Trump administration. At this point calling our Trump and Kelly and Bannon is shooting fish in a barrel - the enablers/profiteers in the cabinet and on Capitol Hill have not endured nearly enough scrutiny for their misdeeds.
One of the best essays I've ever read in NYTimes- or anywhere about the current state of affairs. If I were a high school teacher I'd make it required reading and assign a critical response.
Thank you, Lindy.
2
We have to differentiate Art from Artists. This side Atlantic is the land of Puritans.
That is the reason personal characters matters. A former French President Mittarend had too many character issues in his closet. But that did not prevent him to take highest office of his land. But here in America you cannot. Will not be permitted.
(I think his name was Mitterrand)
Beautiful article, but so sad.
To keep from falling into complete despair perhaps we should remember the power of contrition. We are all flawed, but there are degrees of flawed. If at a minimum we admit our mistakes, seek to correct them, humbly ask to be forgiven for them, we can move the needle forward bit by bit toward the light.
But this White House does none of these things: it is shrouded in darkness.
That is what makes it all so maddening - there is no desire to be good, to be moral in this administration, only the desire to be bigger, to be richer, to feel powerful, to put down Others. They are inept at everything else. This is very evident in their struggles to explain the terrible behavior of Porter and Kelly: they have no one to guide them - they’re left guessing, what would a moral person do? - and so they fumble and lie and fume.
1
There are men (and women) who lash out at their partners - those who would be worthy of a second chance do something that neither Trump nor any of the thugs surrounding him have ever done - offer a sincere and heartfelt apology to those they have harmed, and do whatever it takes to assure they never lose control again. When Trump country apologists offer up their litany of mitigating circumstances, we need to stop arguing the merits of a wife beater who goes to church on Sunday and respond instead simply by asking, "where was the apology, the amends-making? Where is the evidence of doing whatever it takes to stop being violent?"
1
So now it's the fault of the WH personnel security office. Today I wouldn't be surprised to learn they couldn't release Porter's file because none of them had yet received security clearance.
3
The problem is more difficult than your closing paragraphs suggest. The question of context was central to the philosophy of John Dewey who addressed it most specifically in his essay, “Context and Thought.” A valuable idea in that essay is that while context is always important to thorough understanding, we always adjust context to best address the consequences we wish to attain. In this instance, for example, should we use what we know of Picasso’s treatment of the women in his life as a proper context to justify burning Guernica? And what context could we then use to claim that we had become anything other than narrow-minded censors?
1
Unfortunately, I think our culture has accepted the idea that what men do and what women accept within the confines marriage is totally off limits to the scrutiny of the rest of us. I feel bad for women that are in abusive relationships, but I cannot fathom why they don't just end them. Easy to say if you have never been there, I guess.
So, it is no surprise to me that Trump, and many others, especially in that generation, compartmentalize these things. They're thinking that as long as it is happening in the confines of a marriage, it doesn't affect their ability to be "very fine people".
Although I agree that WH officials should be held to the highest standard, I am troubled by the idea that once a person commits a crime, they should be shunned and never work forever. I am concerned that the millions of people with criminal records will have an even more difficult time finding productive work with rhetoric like that found in this piece floating around.
1
Nowhere in this piece does it say Porter (or anyone else) should never be allowed to work again.
2
Ms. West,
I certainly share your anger over our culture's long-term disregard for women's rights and safety, and Rob Porter should have been fired a long time ago. But in trying to make your more general point about "compartmentalization" and "separating the art from the artist," I feel this column goes wildly astray.
Great artists, great thinkers and great athletes are not necessarily "nice" people at all. Many of them are really flawed and troubled (sometimes evil) people on a personal level--and this may even be what drives them to excel at what they do.
Some degree of "compartmentalization" is essential, because it's just simplistic, childish and naive to assume that people who excel in any particular field should also be held up as role models for their personal behavior. Humans are extraordinarily complex: Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, Miles Davis was abusive towards women and Martin Luther King Jr. committed both adultery and plagiarism. Any grown-up view of history must acknowledge their complexity. But it would be CRAZY to deny their profoundly positive impact on American Democracy, Jazz Music and Civil Rights.
The solution here isn't really that hard. Moving forward, we need to hold people accountable for their actions and accountable to the law. Rape and violence should not be tolerated or winked at. As for the past--we must recognize that great leaders are always far more complex than some idealized bust of marble.
Every person compartmentalizes, loving the parent who perhaps hit or otherwise abused them, loving the child who lied or bullied, loving the self that is imperfect and sometimes even rotten or mean. But we feel better about it - far better! - when there's honesty, contrition, maybe even restitution. But when the transgression is hidden, denied, or wantonly devalued, that's when we should question the decency of the loved one, when we should withhold forbearance, forgiveness...and votes! If there's anything good coming from the Trump administration, it may be that we have begun a gigantic truth and reconciliation effort. Trump and his people will be the last to join that.
31
I get the issues surrounding Porter’s tenure despite early knowledge of spousal abuse claims against him. Clearly, Kelly and possibly Trump made conscious decisions that the claims weren’t damaging enough to warrant firing a key man on whom both relied. That was a decision both need to explain better, made more significant by Porter’s lack of a full security clearance.
But I’ve never understood Trump’s decisions about how to use Ivanka and Kushner. It was a good bet given Kushner’s business entanglements that he would have a problem with a full security clearance – if Trump weren’t president, his own entanglements would present similar issues with clearance. The rules were not developed to deal with the nuances of globe-trotting moguls suddenly performing key governance advisory functions.
Why does he continue to insist that they have formal presidential advisor titles? If he wants to use them as advisors, nobody has the authority to deny him their participation so long as they draw no federal salary and occupy no federal offices. He can call them in whenever he pleases, and he can ask any citizen to aid his country by, say, going to Israel as an unofficial mediator. It’s the PRESIDENT who determines what documents and information are classified, and he can ask “advice” of anyone he pleases.
Puzzling.
As to Lindy’s angst, we can never separate decisions from their context. But Porter has been fired (or whatever), and for the right reasons. That’s part of the context, too.
"and for the right reasons."
Actually, the Administration hasn't made it at all clear what their "reasons" were. Most likely it was simply bad optics, as it's clear that, absent publication of of the Daily Mail story, they were prepared to retain (and even promote) Porter.
2
He was about to be promoted, despite lack of security clearances, and despite the WH knowing he was a wife beater.
That's context too. Thanks for the Trump apology.
4
How does punching his wife at the age of 20, with no further incidents reported in his record, qualify him as a "wife beater". I knew one a long time ago; they don't just beat their wife once.
2
"Americans are, arguably, too adept at such compartmentalization. It is our defining sickness. We separate the founding of this country from the slave-owning founding fathers. We separate the theft of this continent from our own bodies standing on it. We separate the present from the past. ..."
We elect a man as president who is known to be a sexual abuser, a serial liar, incapable of discerning truth from fiction and callously indifferent to truth if it contradicts him and what he wants, a business con man, obsessesed with conspiracy theories, and cozy with Russia's oligarchs.
"Sometimes the past catches up."
Excellent, although I ask that due process still be given some careful consideration.
1
If he gets charged with a crime it will be. Outside of that it's not applicable. It's just this year's buzz phrase.
1
I guess you never saw the picture of his ex-wife's black eye. You know, the picture he took.
3
Inserting "Due Process" w/o context-particulars is like saying "God Bless You" when no one is around and no one has sneezed?
Are you alluding "Due Process" wasn't exercised in investigating Porter's Background,..for over a year?
For better understanding the strong convergence of Mormonism and wife/family abuse, I have found the book, 'A Bishops Wife' by Mette Ivie Harrison especially revealing.
It is a novel, but written by a Mormon woman, with details and significance that those of us on the outside would neither know or contextually understand. I think this should be required reading for anyone evaluating or discussing Rob Porter and his wives, all of whom are Mormons. The Porter situation, and politics pertaining to it simply does not exist independent of the Mormon context.
4
There is a real difference between artists and public officials. Anyone can choose to see or not see work produced by Harvey Weinstein or starring Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, Bill Cosby or a host of others. Public officials make policy that we don't get to opt out of.
7
It matters not what the White House knew or knows. Why would a President who allegedly molested or harassed a dozen women care about a staffer's abusive behavior? Voters do compartmentalize, as other issues, most noticeably race, transcend issues of sexism and abuse. Just look at who the nation elected President and who the voters of Alabama nearly elected to the Senate.
9
Too many of the commenters are saying that this is a ‘private’ matter. Violence against women has been a private matter for men in the past. I’ve seen women drag themselves to work after they’ve had a ‘private’ encounter with their husband’s fist. Oh it’s nothing, they say. They need the job, so they accept the beating. Beating your wife, girl friend, mother or children is against the law. It is a crime, it is not a private matter. It is a private tragedy with public consequences. Porter could not get a security clearance because he is, at the least, a physically violent man who beat women. A man who doesn’t have control of himself or his fists. He should not work in White House, he should be in rehab learning how to control his rage and violence. Or he should be in jail.
10
Only men want it to be a private matter.
1
Maybe the White House just doesn't have enough people? No, I think it came across Porter's desk and he stashed it away because he wanted to stay. What else did he lose or take to the Russians?
1
"it came across Porter's desk and he stashed it away because he wanted to stay"
kelly had the report. He knew.
2
Domestic Violence "Allegations"
1. The key word is "Allegations".
2. The alleged incident(s) happened years ago.
3. Show me official police report(s).
Why are we hearing about the allegations now?
Where are the official police reports?
Were the ex-wives paid for negative reports?
BTW, Rob Porter was previously Chief of Staff for Senator Orrin Hatch so he should already have a security clearance. He has also worked for Senators Rob Portman and Mike Lee.
2
"2. The alleged incident(s) happened years ago.
3. Show me official police report(s)."
2. He had a recent girlfriend who also suffered from his abuse.
3. Their was a police report of his smashing the glass in his front door in a rage.
"Rob Porter was previously Chief of Staff for Senator Orrin Hatch so he should already have a security clearance". Either the investigators didn't talk to the wives or more likely Hatch ignored it. Any clearance was likely to be low level.
3
According to the FBI chief, who had no reason to lie, the White House knew about Porter's domestic abuse since last March, with further details added in July and again in November last year. Trump, Kelly and other administration officials not only ignored the FBI's findings, they wanted to promote Porter and probably would have done it if the abuse had not been reported by the media. Trued to form, the White House then tried to lie its way out of the scandal, with the resulting coverup not only exposing the Porter scandal but also the fact that 30-40 staffers, Kushner among them, still have no security clearances. The clown car continues to careen from one crash to the next.
15
The good ol' boy network is alive and well at the White House. White male privilege does have its advantages, like a certain credit card. But if they leave home without it and work at the White House they have an open line of credit. Rob Ported got cover from the president and John Kelly because they didn't think this story would ever become public, and, so what if it did? 53% of white women voted for this president, giving him their seal of approval. They didn't care that Secretary Clinton was more qualified. They wanted change and they now have it. Do they have a sense of any buyers' remorse today?
8
Unfortunately, it seems that "they" are too ignorant to accept any responsibility.
3
"Do they have a sense of any buyers' remorse today?"
They don't understand how the government works, so they won't ever figure it out, while their paying a higher rate of taxes then the very wealthy.
4
The Whitehouse knew in July 2017 that Porter would never get clearance and yet he saw everything for another 7 months. Now he is out and angry and unemployed. What will he do with his knowledge? This is why we do not put people without clearances in positions like this -
much worse than Hillary.
11
We know Trump's White House is a behavioral cesspool. What scares me more are the people who support him among the voters. Remember, very large numbers of white women, both college educated and not, voted for Trump.
But even after a year in office, polling by FiveThirtyEight shows 80% or more of Republican women still approving of Trump's job in office. This tells me that for white women, Trump's racism wins out over his misogyny and tolerance for abuse of women.
6
Apparently Rob Porter is a beast at home and has quite a temper. However I don't see how that would necessarily affect his job performance. I thought liberals were big supporters of the right to privacy. Unless he is charged and convicted of a crime, then it is a domestic issue.
7
Rob Porter was a security risk. You don't trust people with secrets who has material hanging over their head, which, if exposed, would cost them their job and their entire reputations. That's one of the most important reasons for the investigations the FBI is charged to carry out. Even one of his wives, when asked if he might be liable to blackmail, reportedly said yes.
13
The point is that rob Porter cannot get security clearance. Nor can Jared Kushner, due to business ties to China. This means they cannot be qualified to work st the White House.
If you applied for a job that required security clearance and didn't get it, your resume would go right into the round file. In DC, many jobs require this.
These people do not belong in the White House.
13
The job requires security clearance.
He failed to get it, due, at least in part, to his abused wives' descriptions of his behavior to the FBI.
That's how it affects his job performance, Aaron- he doesn't meet the requirements.
It's NOT a domestic issue in this realm.
5
If I have to hear that Porter was a Harvard graduate and very bright by one more person, I am going to scream. An abuser of women is an abuser no matter what social economic level he comes from.
As to John Kelly, I said from the first time I heard him speak as Homeland Security Secretary, Kelly is a racist and an authoritarian who lacks respect for immigrants and women. He doesn't look like Donald Trump but he thinks like Donald Trump. No respect for immigrants, women and the constitution. It's time for Kelly to go and he needs to take his buddy Trump with him.
10
According to Chief of Staff, John Kelly, "Porter was one of the few competent professionals on his staff"? That says legions about the quality of the White House staff that likely surprises very few.
6
We are experiencing political nihilism. And then there’s the religious nihilism that wholly and gleefully contributed to this living nightmare.
Every Trump voter will have to OWN their vote shortly. No lowered eyeballs in embarrassment and sheepishness. This was all out there when this madman was running.
Political Hospice Care would be too kind for them.
4
America is full of talented, well-educated, experienced individuals.
If this so-called administration that once traded on the myth that American "carnage" has ravaged the job sector couldn't attract an upstanding, qualified candidate to take Porter's place, then what does it say about the Failing Trump White House?
Most. Corrupt. President. Ever!
They said goodbye to Park.
They're saying goodbye to Zuma.
Bibi sees the writing on the wall.
How long will it take before the Great American Fraud (GAF) is finally removed from the power that Putin gave him?
8
A twice-divorced Mormon with no kids from either marriage is the biggest red flag. Their religion idolizes marrying young and having very large families, so the fact that he is twice divorced and childless as an affluent, highly educated Mormon is a sign of something very wrong.
8
Probably sexually inadequate, which he blames on his partner and lashes at her.
2
History is full of great and horrible men, big and small, domestic and worldly.
Porter is a common man, Now he is just more well known than most of his type.
We failed to elect Hillary Clinton as president, and for those Americans who believe that sexism and misogyny had nothing to do with it, just look at where we are now. When we talk about the White House we talk about crimes against women: sexual harassment, violence, sexual assault.
What is truly laughable is that those in power seem to think that competent men are irreplaceable. They didn't want to dump Rob Porter because he was so good at his job! As if there is a shortage of talented workers in this country who don't punch people. The men who everyone knew were engaged in harassment and assault, from Charlie Rose exposing himself to his female staff to Harvey Weinstein raping scores of women, were considered too brilliant to ousted.
Sadly, one of the smartest, most knowledgeable, supremely competent candidates ever to run for president was cast aside because she was imperfect. Her misguided devotion to her husband was disqualifying. Her email server was a threat to national security. Regrets, anyone?
19
Arguably, Hillary participated in the serial abuse of women more than anyone in the Trump administration.
"You can’t separate that from the allegations against him." I believe you can. We can separate Van Gogh's life from his paintings or Tolstoy's--his life, good or bad, does would not change one word of "War and Peace". That said, Porter should have spent time in prison and therapy so it would not have happened to the second wife.
2
The fear of #MeToo is the fear of abuse. Those feeling that fear have only themselves to fear. Are you an abuser? Maybe not physical or sexual, but you used your position of power to demean, humiliate, dismiss someone? So now you feel you could be falsely accused of physical or sexual abuse?
Consider for a moment the victims of real abuse. There are millions. They were abused by an attacker then abused by our justice system then abused by all who believe they lied.
I don't know the answer to ending abuse and preventing false accusations, but #MeToo is a monumental step forward. It should not be attacked on the grounds that it could support false claims. It should be welcomed as a step to understanding and ending abuse which has a long, long history.
The origin of abuse began with evolution itself. Men grew larger and physically stronger than women. But then some man got the idea that god made man and man was superior to woman. They started a religion that teaches this is a man's world and women are servants of men. The physically mighty were justified in treating the weaker however they wanted. Only does reason tell us that might does not make right. But that conflicts with religions around the world.
To end abuse will require religions to end their cherished myths. Governments will need to reflect the equality and representation of women in the citizenship.
I stand with #MeToo. Don't demean it just because you have never been abused or raped. Millions of others have.
12
Dear Lindy,
Thank you for your beautifully written and elegantly argued piece here. Amid the bitter back and forth and deplorable assertions we are forced to consider these days, to spend a few minutes reading such an intelligent and literate perspective restores in me my hope for the human endeavor, if but for a few precious moments.
Now, back to the grind.
Thank you, Ms West, for your eloquent and insightful analysis of the wrongheadedness emanating from the white house. Hopefully pieces like this will further the cause of tamping down the trump attempt to returning us to prehistoric times.
Bless you Lindy West! Among the string of pearls, "I believe that unit of measurement is called capitalism" is a diamond. From slavery to and through the subjugation of women, it has always been primarily about white men and their money. I speak from authority. I am a white man with some money. At least I recognize it and try to be generous and support policies that would diminish my white male privileged advantages.
4
Before you can separate the man from his actions -- whether the artist, the director or or the secretary -- he has to take responsibility for his actions. Neither Rob Porter or any of the white men surrounding him and springing to his defense have any intention of doing that. They lie, or blame the victim or pivot continuously. This is the "leadership" Trump has provided. Before we can decide how to handle the current crisis we have to shine a light on it all day and all night, fight the backlash and never stop exposing it.
9
I have read hundreds and hundreds of editorials in the new York times but, none as powerful as this one. our politics currently are awful but, they are the product of much deeper sickness I agree with the author of this piece, our problems are cultural........ what are we going to do about that?.
10
“True to form for the Trump White House, even doing nothing was an unachievably high bar.” That has to be the best description of the current administration I’ve read. What a superbly written and thoughtful piece.
8
In an interview, Kellyanne Conway said she is not worried about Hope Hicks’ safety while she is in a relationship with Porter because Hicks is a strong woman. The inference being, I suppose, that Porter was only a wife beater because his ex-wives were weak.
It is not only our ability to compartmentalize that hinders our ability to learn from history, it is a failure to recognize that a thing is a thing in any context. Rewriting history or accepting false premises
16
'What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men — to not only separate Porter the guy-whose-ex-wife-filed-a-protective-order-against-him from Porter the guy-who-is-pretty-good-at-being-a-staff-secretary, but then to weigh their relative importance and choose the latter. (I believe that unit of measurement is called “capitalism.”)'
Thank you, Lindy. That just about sums it up. I'm not sure that hatred of women is the root of that violence so much as it is the male power structure upon which capitalism, and all societies, are based. Any challenges to that power structure can elicit rage, resulting in violence. The fact that most men are physically stronger, makes the reaction that much easier. Controlling women behaviorally and biologically is how men preserve their social and economic dominance. Think how different the course of history would have been if we were hermaphrotic - if men had babies too!
3
It seems like Americans are living in the midst of some kind of an alternate universe reality show - and a really bad one at that.
Indeed, one of the motivating pressures behind the founding of this country was to preserve slavery, which at the time was fading from the theater of European policy. Many colonists feared losing this inhuman institution.
If our founding fathers perceived dark skinned people as sub-human, which they must have done in order to justify enslaving them, then the stirring language of human rights could safely be restricted to those fair-skinned denizens deemed fully human.
The country carries the sorry stain of bigotry to this day, even enshrining its ugly symptoms in the highest reaches of national leadership
3
You are right that we can't un-Hitchcock Hitchcock, because his body of work is complete and the man is dead. History will decide where his legacy lies. But we certainly can un-Allen Woody Allen and un-Weinstein Harvey Weinstein. Actors can refuse to work with them, funders refuse to fund them, audiences refuse to pay for admission to the movies they have directed or produced. To be an artist, you do not need to build a career on the bodies and souls of women. We need to debunk the myth that artists deserve a special pass for egregious behavior because without being able to vent their frustrations or feed like vampires off womens' souls and bodies, they can't make art. That's just not true. Reining themselves in may actually help these men to make better art. And it would pave the way for more women artists, more diverse expression, and a wider perspective on the world and how people behave in it. 98% percent of movies have a man as the central character with the female "star" playing some kind of delirious housewife who is either embittered, overly sexualized or the perfect, dutiful wife. I don't think I've ever recognized myself in a major Hollywood picture. Not ever. I've seen aspects of myself and moments of myself, but a fully realized mature woman? Not once. We need to break down the myth of the male artist as the person who sees life for what it is, not through the myopia of privileged maleness.
80
Just a note in passing - as a man - I've never recognized myself in a major Hollywood picture either. I don't think that's a gender "thing".
Woody Allen is not Harvey Weinstein. Woody Allen is the object of his ex wife's wrath which seems to know no bounds. Woody Allen has been investigated. You may not like him marrying his adopted child but where's the crime? Unproven. False equivalence.
Very well, but you don't also see a problem in un-careering and un-legacying people over what effectively amounts to rumor?
I'm all for holding these people to account, but it should be done on the basis of some degree of proof or removal of reasonable doubt. Instead, we are assuming guilt the moment the first accusations emerge, ending their careers or forcing them to resign. Take Al Franken, pushed from office without an ethics hearing simply because the allegations against him were politically inconvenient.
We treat murderers better, insisting they are innocent until proven guilty, and granting them a trial.
If top White House aids need a top security clearance, why does't the President need one as well? He not only sees everything but is then making vital national decisions. We have no idea what national security information he has passed on to the Russians or any one else for that matter.
4
Your comment regarding the "luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men, and calling it a measurement of capitalism, I think is a combination of both patriarchy and capitalism. This phenomenon of gender discrimination is all over the globe and will not change unless patriarchal systems change. My concern is why John Kelly who served this country honorably should forget all norms of national security and putting his reputation on the line for a President who is not worth it, and staff who might be security risks for this nation. Hope, Sarah, KellyAnne, Ivanka, and Melania are all Trump enablers of misogyny and his public voice.
4
Is it possible to overcome the adaptations that have enabled our species to become the apex predator?
The time-line of progress toward making our world more empathetic proceeds glacially, sometimes forward sometimes backward. When the females of the species, smaller and weaker, turn the tables and predominately influence the future of civilization then the hold of evolution will have loosed its nasty, brutish grasp. What such a world would look like is, at present, the stuff of fiction.The fact that the list of female, war mongering, conquerors is a null set bodes well for what the future will bring should women and their men allies were to overthrow the patriarchy. What's an abuser at the bottom of the ocean? A good start.
1
Ms. West, this is the most brilliant of pieces. You encompass all the safety nets of exculpatory Venn diagragms to a stark 'deal with it' ultimatum.
1
“What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men.”
It’s not only white men. Several years ago Shirley M. Collado, the new president of Ithaca College, was convicted of sexually assaulting one of her psychology patients.
That was kept under wraps until a local paper was given a copy of the trial docket. Despite her conviction, both the college and her supporters say it’s not true, or that she’s done many good things since then.
The difference is that this didn’t make the front page of any paper. She’s gay, and a minority, and a social justice warrior. So she too gets a big pass on her past misdeeds.
3
I can't help but think about Germany's WW11 role - a country with a great history, home to Beethoven, Bach and such rich musical tradition - how could they? How could they create the Nazi world and possess a truly
outstanding intellectual and artistic record at the same time. People have pondered
this dichotomy for years, and yet it shows up in humans as well. A competent,
highly intelligent man, Porter, who is also an abuser of women. How did this flaw,
this penchant for physical and mental violence develop, where does it come from? We are a paternalist culture and we see that reflected now in our government as well as society itself. There is a reason the Me Too movement is here as we try to make changes and wake a more just humanity. Despite the backlash to the movement , I hope women will continue to make progress towards equality in all aspects of life. Men are now more aware of their foibles and that can only help in providing women with the stature they deserve.
2
Beg to differ, that unit of measurement is called while privileged.
2
Before we talk about separating the art from the artist, there needs to be art—something that might be worth saving.
Unfortunately, I doubt that Rob Porter was that exceptional. No, I don't know him, but the personnel choices of this administration have been a parade of incompetent, unknowledgeable, or self-seeking beings.
Even among four-star generals, Trump seems able to pick from the bottom of the barrel in choosing a lying, misogynist Kelly.
6
His picks are so easy to understand. You only have to agree with him and express loyalty and you're in! That explains how the bottom of the barrel continues to be exposed.
1
Brilliant encapsulation of the nexus of our problems as a society.
3
This essay is cheapened by the phrase "I believe that unit of measurement is called 'capitalism' (referring to compartmentalization of good vs. bad behavior). It does the author no favor to demean a system of economic freedom that enables persons to flourish. [Not to be confused with cronyism.]
2
I believe the author makes a fair observation, and a relevant point. I also fail to see how her observation in any way "demeans" capitalism. I believe she points out one of the many flaws inherent to unbridled capitalism - i.e., a tendency to gauge someone's worth solely on the basis of economic performance and/or value to corporate goals rather than in a more holistic manner.
This was hardly an anti-capitalist screed, and your hypersensitivity to this one (parenthetical) criticism belies your supposed faith in the inherent good of capitalism.
2
A beautifully written piece. The construct and phrasing not unlike poetry.
Lindy west could write about paint drying and I would read it again and again.
7
What a marvelous, insightful, and cogent editorial. West takes "complicated" issues and reduces them to essential elements. Required reading!
5
Rage builds up. The abuser acts. Lashes out, strikes the victim. Hurts the victim. makes excuses, and then tries to make amends, maybe even offering a gift, because, hey, deep down, he's a good guy. The victim, who has committed to loving the abuser, has committed much to the relationship, tries to explain the abuse, accepts apologies, hopes it won't happen again, sees it as an aberration, decides to stay, desperately wants to believe its going to be OK. It's hard to break the cycle, hard to acknowledge what's happening, hard to keep your own sanity, hard to leave the relationship you've invested so much in. But it happens over and over again. And it won't stop until the victim leaves. Trump supporters, I hope you will recognize what is happening to you. The abuse this administration tolerates, the real physical abuse foisted upon Rob Porter's victims is only a small part of its abuse of our nation as a whole and you as individuals. And there is real pain coming for all of us. These incidents are part of a pattern that won't stop until you acknowledge what's happening. Don't pretend these things are all one-offs. It's time to leave. The rest of us will support you.
10
If "rage builds up", what is causing that rage? Could it be that many domestic situations have (at least) 2 culprits? Ultimately, men will become physical if things get bad enough; so will many women. But there is a huge difference between wild domestic fights, where both partners are crazed and cruel (but one more physical) and a guy who comes home to a peaceful wife and smacks her around.
In the first, much more common scenario, either partner should leave because they are both responsible for driving the other to extreme emotions.
Compartmentalization is a fancy psychological concept that just means lying to one's self to maintain stability for one's inner reality.
Politicians are expert at compartmentalization. Yes, they are very good at lying.
When you tell the truth and act with consideration for others, you don't need compartmentalization.
5
Thank you for this.
We cannot compartmentalize behavior - if unacceptable in one realm it supersedes any other behavior.
1
When I had security clearances, starting in 1955, it was normal for interim clearances to be limited to SECRET material, never top secret or compartmented material. Why this White House would ignore such limitations should be a matter of concern, IMHO.
8
I live in a community where we celebrate the opening of new battered women's shelters with celebrity fanfare, sans any question about why we keep having to build them, here in safely devoted affluent Trump country. The same county where a known domestic abuser cop was encouraged to remain employed and reassigned his weapon just in time to murder his ex wife and mother to nine children, as his fellow officers watched him kill her. This women lived in the service of her community, society, and she died on the street in front of her daughter. Not a single public official has been punished, held accountable. In fact, the county prosecutor was promoted. What message does this send young girls? There are men, an entire system and administrative apparatus, all around us that protects men, even state actors, who hurt women. Even when we know they do, we still reward and protect. Mr. Porter is not unique. We have to stop cheering those new shelters and ask why it is we continue to need them at all. We have normalized violence against women so much that we don't treat it as it is, a violent crime, a form of terrorism against an already oppressed and underrepresented class of person, women.
3
Lindy, you continue to provide us with beautiful, insightful prose that is essential reading. None of us knows all the right answers, but we have to keep talking and questioning and pushing our way forward until this is a country that is safe for everyone. Keep fighting the good fight.
3
How many Bill Clinton supporters protested his ousting from office because "a person's private life doesn't have anything to do with a person's job performance" etc. Has this standard evaporated for one who is Republican?
The "allegations" against Clinton were not benign but included sexual assault, battery, even rape. He did pay a big price for his misdeeds but many chose not to believe the accusers and/or to forgive him because they sided with his politics. He did not automatically lose his career but was interrogated and went back to work.
Obviously, there is no excuse for domestic violence. I believe the women in this case. But conflating the criminal behavior of some men with the wrongs of much of our history is ridiculous--and is its own form of "compartmentalization."
24
The difference for many of us, is that many of the wrongs of much of our history was criminal, regardless of what codified statutes may have stated.
Men who abuse their power are routinely rewarded. Just look at who granted David Letterman his latest "first" interview. How about the banks and insurance companies still willing to fund another alleged predator his movie soap box in Woody Allen. Yesterday, it was Steve Cohen's investment firm, all while he road shows for another few billion. Men behave badly and we accept it. If we didn't, we'd not only show it with our vote but our dollars too. Instead of "liking" everything Obama does, how about reminding him there are a plethora of up and coming entertainers who would welcome him as a "first" guest instead of giving life to abusers of institutional power-- that's a form of capitalism that speaks volumes. Or maybe Jamie Dimon will pass on Cohen and instead get behind a female or minority managed hedge fund manager, for a change. Start passing the rewards of capitalism to those traditionally oppressed, socially and economically. No group deserves a little capitalism more than women.
1
From the FBI’s standpoint, the issue is not whether Porter committed domestic violence, but whether he was honest and forthcoming with his application for a clearance and in subsequent interviews. The FBI is trying to determine if a person is fundamentally honest and if there is anything in their background that could make them a target for blackmail.
It appears Porter failed on both accounts.
4
Compartmentalizing is nothing more than a means to justify an otherwise unacceptable end. An end we all know can not be morally justified when weighed against ones principles. Unless of course ones principles are sub par to begin with.
The simple and obvious reality here is that our president and his congress of merry cohorts have severely compromised principles. They are willing to abandon principles in order to achieve less than honorable ends.
1
Domestic violence is bad. In Porter’s case it affected his security clearance.
The Access Hollywood tape and other statements and actions show there’s good reason to think Trump’s attitude towards women disqualifies him from high office. It rang true when some R women who had long defended the party against charges of misogyny were dismayed that the Rs did not consider the Access Hollywood tape disqualifying.
But now come the generalizations. The response to Porter shows the “luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men.” Men who physically lash out do so with hatred. Sending men unnecessarily to war or prison is an offense against their wives and mothers.
As I understand it, research on domestic violence consistently shows a plurality is mutual combat, following fairly far behind is female on male violence, with male on female violence close behind in third place. Tellingly, a long running TV show apparently about women who commit violence is entitled “Snapped.”
Sometimes some men or women lash out in hatred; sometimes some men or women lash out in weakness and frustration; sometimes it’s bad enough to require society to respond. When men are unnecessarily sent to war or prison or put at risk on the job it hurts their families but they themselves bear the brunt of it.
How have we not learned to take care when generalizing about race or gender?
2
I started my morning reading with this piece. What an excellent analysis. Brava to Ms. West and a dirge for all of us living in this sad, uncivilized reality.
4
" CNN reported that chief of staff John Kelly, aware of the allegations for months, “told associates that Porter was one of the few competent professionals on his staff and wanted to ensure that he was being used to his full potential.”
And it's a reflection on the essential flaws in and incompetence of this administration that they'd view Porter as a most excellent professional with great potential, although he couldn't get full security clearance, a standard requirement in every other administration a requirement that one would think would be a prerequisite for employment in the White House. The risk of Porter being blackmailed is clearly not such a big deal, however, for an administration that was fundamentally compromised before it even got to the White House.
2
This is a great article and I agree with 100% of it . In a simpler vein, in Trump land all can be explained I refer to as institutional indifference which stems from his world view. Trump brought with him a world view or Weltanshauung, ( fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual encompassing a point of view, themes, values, emotions, and ethics.) that is indifferent to the very institutions and, by tradition, practices (honesty, transparency, fairness, clarity,) he is sworn to protect, defend and manage. He personally doesn't care about things like sexual harassment and sexual assault. Not in his wheelhouse. The people around him are picked to support and defend his behavior ( Huckabee-Sanders, Conway, etc., ) which comes from his world view. And that's how we get people covering up Porter's behavior...just to keep him on the job..because he does good work and is a nice guy.
Context isn't a question. Nothing can be evaluated honestly and entirely without context. Henry V wouldn't make much sense if you weren't generally familiar with the time period Shakespeare was referencing. The same could be said of Hemingway, Kerouac, Vonnegut, Woolf, Heller, Lee, Brontë (pick one). The list goes on. Nor is the distinction limited to literary art either. You can relate every major artistic transition to cultural transitions as well. The art movements forged around the experience of WWI are probably the most obvious but the contextual application is infinitely appropriate.
Where people get hung up is in determining relevance. This is the compartmentalization we're discussing. Is an individual's personal life relevant to their professional life? As my argument above suggests: Yes! The odd thing about Porter is that Porter himself was so successful in compartmentalizing his own personal turmoil. If you're experiencing intense sometimes violent arguments with a spouse, how can you tuck that crisis away so completely and walk into the office as usual? That does not strike me as normal, emotionally healthy behavior.
I don't know how White House does background checks. However Porter's professionalism despite recurrent domestic violence stands out as a huge red flag to me. Why the White House would disconnect the two is beyond explanation. The only plausible answer comes from Kelly's opinion. There aren't enough competent people around to afford losing one.
1
This is a poetic and provocative piece. It's amazing what we're willing to overlook in certain situations. For example, it's so troubling, that coming off of an epic performance in the men's half pipe competition, one of the first things we hear about are abuse allegations against Shaun White. I spoke to a young student of mine this morning who's takeaway was that it could not be true. That, "he's so nice". Before we blame a person not yet a teenager for being biased, though, we have to understand the emotional level he's on. He was so disappointed, as we all must be, that this is the narrative. He's not mature enough to wait for the facts to come out. As adults, we need to move on from this type of thinking, though. Just because he's on your team doesn't make him less responsible for his bad behavior, if proven true. It's understandable to be biased as a child when your hero is brought down, but a president should know better.
51
I would only add that there are professional endeavors in life that are much more easily "compartmentalized" from someone's personal life than others. Likewise, the crossover from personal to professional life is much more likely in some realms than in others. Shaun White's performance on a snowboard is about as far removed from, and unaffected by, his performance as a loving (or abusive) and caring (or callous) person in his personal life as I can imagine. The performances of an elite athlete are mechanical in nature, honed by repetition and development of muscle memory. An elite athlete's personal life may provide reason for others to join his/her fan club, but it does not necessarily provide reason to disqualify that athlete from pursuing his/her career path.
When it comes to jobs like the one Mr. Porter was chosen to fill, however, there is a strong crossover between the personal and professional realms. One's degree of empathy and understanding for fellow human beings is integral to being an effective public servant. And no matter how much someone like Gen. Kelly may try to make White House positions mechanistic, "objective," and unaffected by human concerns, members of the White House staff are "servants" of the public, and they must take human concerns into consideration without fail. Someone who abuses women (or any other creatures on earth) should be disqualified from White House service without hesitation or question.
1
"This contradicts Trump aides’ reassurances that they were as shocked as anyone to read about Porter’s alleged misogynist violence in The Daily Mail last week."
Shocked, I tell you, just *shocked*!
They were probably just as shocked to learn that gambling was going on at Steve Wynn's casinos!
Or, that Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeatedly lies from the podium.
LOL!
2
Just thank you so much NYT- where would we be with out your journalistic excellence!!
1
And still the majority of white women voted for Trump. Why?
Did they see themselves as damsels in distress and he was coming to their rescue one way or the other? Did they vote in solidarity with their men rather than in solidarity with the women who accused Trump of doing what he said out of his own mouth that he did?
Rob Porter will no doubt find a job. He simply cannot work in the White House handling top secret information because these allegations call into question his temperament and his judgment.
At this point, there's little doubt that Donald Trump has a thing for white men who abuse women -- just look at Rob Porter and serial pedophile Roy Moore from Alabama whom he openly supported in a Senatorial bid.
On another planet this might seem outlandish, but apparently, it's acceptable without question here.
Maybe that's because Mr. Tump happens to be an abuser himself...(remember that Billy Bush interview?)
But that's no big surprise, because that's what happens when you come from a world of being wealthy, over-privileged and unaccountable to anyone.
The main problem with that is, this is the president of the United States of America, and he is supposed to setting an example for not only the nation, but the world.
In the meantime, no one is speaking out against this publicly. But can you just imagine the uproar if this had happened in the Obama White House?
The sheer hypocrisy of it all makes their silence even more deafening.
1
The White House response is insulting to me. Why do they respond this way? Are they really all so inept? Why is it so difficult for Trump to even say this is bad? He lies so easily so why can’t he just pour out a thick layer of expressed care for the victims? A deep seated disdain for women might be one reason. On the other hand it all makes me wonder if he fears statements he makes now will make him look foolish should any skeletons in his own closet come out in the future. How difficult can it be to express support for the well being of battered women?
3
This isn't shocking or even surprising. This administration is illegitimate at best and likely criminal in nearly all aspects. The fish rots from the head.
10
Although Trump and his minions lie constantly, they are not good liers. Rather, they lie clumsily, saying whatever suits their purposes at the moment. Days (or hours) later, they tell a new lie that contradicts the first. And they do this without shame, not caring that their dishonesty is plain for all to see.
2
Thank you for telling it like it is
3
Gotta keep "the rest of us" in this conversation.
1
What a splendid essay, Ms. West, an almost-unexampled A-to-Z of America’s scarred cheeks; its rent and tattered garments; the slippery “legend” that buttresses the frowning truth of the empirical lie that was, is, and, perhaps shall ever be, the United States of America.
For openers, the only American president who ever acknowledged the atrocity of genocide perpetrated against the Original People was Barack Obama. How revealing!. Every other president accepted Manifest Destiny as extermination’s divinely-inspired, approved blessings.
Which brings us to Robert Porter and his culturally-accepted “good ole boy” white male entitlement. When America was “great” (1620-2009), it was the American “thing” to be openly racist, misogynistic and shallow, parceling out the benefits of American life along an unbreachably-strict hierarchy from white/male downward. If one non-white or non-male complained about their mistreatment, they were further cordoned off from the margins of society. They were to be seen, not heard, their “rights” a matter of the paternal whims of the moment. Trump Nation, the 63-million-strong army of resentment, were the main beneficiaries of this feudal approach to the new nationhood and jealously guarded any protest or government intrusion upon their idyllic pastorale.
Porter’s gone but Trump and Kelly remain, keepers of the flame of a continuing fantasy that chases a dream that, to many others, was a nightmare of violence writ large.
Great writing, Ms. West.
5
How true it is that we compartmentalize our history, that's true for liberals also. Liberals preach human rights to the rest of the world, holding our constitution as a beacon for all to follow, while the history of the constitution as a compromise to slave states and its flaws were shown to all by the 2000 and 2016 elections, not to mention all those state elections.
Another example of false equivalency...
1
What makes this essay so good is it reflects clearly on the world we live in. We are so flooded with this corruption of white male privilege. Shaun White, 31 just won a gold medal in half pipe with a sexual harassment suit against him. Not a peep from the IOC FIS or NBC. Corporate sponsors? No one wants their group to be the one to make real sacrifices. They have to be cornered. Trump is just another bro.
1
Once again, it is OK because they are Republicans.
2
What really distinguishes Trump and his West Wing myrmidons from misogynist artists like Picasso or Hitchcock is the scope of the harm they can do. Predatory artists just abuse their muses, self-proclaimed sexual predator Trump is working with evangelicals to harm 125 million women by depriving them access to insured contraception and safe and legal abortion.
4
I believe that degree of “compartmentalizatios” is called not capitalism, but male privilege, particularly white male privilege.
1
Yet somehow Huma Abedin was allowed to operate at the highest levels despite being compromised by her husband's alleged (sorry convicted) sex crimes. She even stored classified communications on his computer, available to the world.
How conveniently we forget.
A spurious argument - Huma Abedin was never implicated in her husband's sexual misdeeds. The Right just can't help foisting the flimsiest false equivalencies on us so that they can avoid confronting that the "yuge" elephant in the room of GOP/Trumpian corruption, and tolerance of violence against women, LGBT folks, immigrants, and Muslims
2
Excuse me? Abedin did not commit crimes. She did not assault her husband. She married a jerk. How is this germane?
1
" 'I believe that unit of measurement is called 'capitalism.'"
Right, got it, Ms. West: Capitalism explains why men can beat their wives and get away with it. Under socialism and communism men don't beat their wives as often, and, if they do, they are punished for it.
Except that what you "believe," Ms. West, is not the case:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemiology_of_domestic_violence#/media/F...
1
you are right Capitalism is not necessarily the right unit of measure but socioeconomic factors certainly have a role in a lot of cases and that is where capitalism has an effect. Domestic violence has many causes.
2
It's not only the White House but also his ex-bosses at the Senate--Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee--covering up for his criminal behavior. As usual, is just "boys will be boys" attitude. Porter is a disgrace to his church and faith, to his family, and to his ex-wives. There's no excuse for not seeking medical help for his sociopathic behavior. Allowing him to stay was beyond stupidity and dereliction of duty.
8
Porter was extremely blackmailable and saw the most sensitive information the US possesses, on a daily basis. He did NOT have the security clearance to even see this information once, let alone as part of his job. The GOP screeching about Hillary’s emails exposes the most craven double-standard possible. Republicans are ALL Party and Putin over country, these days.
2
Trump told us two years ago that "there has to be some form of punishment" for women.
We should take him at his misogynistic word.
Whether it's the implementation of the Global Gag Order in 2017 in one of his first acts as Misogynist-In-Chief...the defunding of the UN Population Fund....the serial cheating on his wives...the public humiliation of his current wife...the sick sight of Sarah "Praise The Lord" Sanders publicly reading Rob Porter's "I am an innocent wife-beater" press release to the press corp....or Pastor Mike Pence rebranding the White House as a new church for nation's medieval evangelical, patriarchal zealots, this White House....the record appointment or anti-abortion federal judges to our courts.... it all combines to form a comprehensive attack on women's rights and bodies that make Mad Men thrilled with institutional misogyny.
"So what if Rob Porter is a serial wife-beater..." effectively says the wretched Trump-Pence Administration....."he's a great white guy !"
Any woman or man who votes for these Neanderthals has an antediluvian view of reality.
219
Sartre believed America would always be in the forefront of societal development because of the way it seemed to him women were valued and respected here. He didn't figure in the backward steps as a society we so easily slip into caused by manipulation of fear of the other.Are we as a species doomed to always fall back?
11
Brilliant piece. Thank you. It all needed to be said.
I’m glad you mentioned pets. Trump has never had a pet. He wouldn’t know what it was for. He’d probably have it fried and put in a bucket.
38
Thank you for telling it how it is.
But we don't know what to do other than email and call our senators and representatives. And try to get the vote out in November.
Such dangerous times.
Judy
27
I’m (white) man, old-ish, I and not the enemy of your program to treat women, to treat everybody, as a human with dignity and purpose and rights to a full life in a society committed to realizing democratic ideals like ours claims to. I have never had or desired a woman for a “pet” or “slave”. I reject your use of those words in any reference to me. I don’t speak for anyone else but I am unaware of any of my friends being in the market for those items either. I’m not in the “power elite” but in the small modest corner I do inhabit, I’m fairly sure nobody has such a fantasy or prejudice. We all do need to work to end the growth of (related) classism, racism, ageism, misogyny, xenophobia and basic ignorant hatred in this country. More poorly focused class hatred speech probably won’t do it.
10
As another oldish white man I can't see any portion of this commentary that applies to me, or to you. Perhaps you are wealthy and/or successful enough to attract the attention of young foreign super models, I'm certainly not. The author points out undeniable American standards that are now under critical scrutiny, those that have accepted without question the privileges to bully and exploit enjoyed by powerful white men. She does not suggest that people of other ethnicities or genders don't similarly abuse, but you and I both know that power in our country is still concentrated in white male hands, and we have to assume that the bullying and exploitation does as well.
you cannot take this personally, if you want to be part of the solution. You need to understand it from a point of view other than your own, (a woman's) and acknowledge your white male privilege. It is not about you.
1
Instead of simply denying that you do not represent the sexism of white male privilege, perhaps begin considering how you may have benefitted by it. That’s the beginning.
1
It is similar to what we knew about Trump before the election and even what we know now. Of course I forgot he is above the law.
10
Everyone says he's too clueless to be planning all this chaos and lack of morality. I think steamrolling people and lying doesn't require "planning" as we typically understand it. Those methods are age-old and familiar to everyone. He's just found people (men AND women) who know that drill and agree with it.
24
So this guy has had some domestic disputes and his two wives left him. for that. I am a woman, and I still think it is unfair to fire people today over domestic disputes that happened years ago. I don't think Trump should have fired him if he was happy with his work, and I dislike the media frenzy in demanding his "head" or else. We are becoming a mean and nasty society.
3
Just say he was beating up men in public on a regular basis. You'd think an employer would think this this was okay because it doesn't affect his work?
2
Rob Porter is clearly disturbed and dangerous. He had a live-in girlfriend recently who called one of his x-wives and asked about any abuse toward her. She became aware of his deep dark behavior while with him. The abuse he inflicted serially was a sign that he needed some serious help. Why didn't Rob Porter willingly get that help before even thinking of jumping into a job where he is representing the American people?
1
A dispute does not result in bruises. You are confusing a dispute with an assault. An assault is illegal, I am pretty sure it is a felony. If you don't think that indicates someone who has never matured beyond the emotional level of a schoolyard bully, you need to think again. I certainly don't want someone who thinks it's OK to punch their way to the resolution of a dispute to have an important place in my government.
1
It's a personal matter that doesn't affect his public service.
1
No not really. He could have been blackmailed for that behavior. That is why the government screens it's employees.
Actually, its not a “personal matter” He was denied security clearance because of it and for good reason. He is free to get a job in the private sector where perhaps hs tendency to beat up women won’t lead to the possibility of his being blackmailed - state secrets crossed Porter’s desk. Its actally a national security issue, as a dictator you should undertsand this.
1
Show them on November 8th that their behavior matters.
What they say and what they do matters
Policy matters
Facts Matter
Decency Matters
Honesty Matters
Integrity Matters
Vote for what Matters!
51
What's this talk of "caring"? The writer seems to think she's "caring". Caring for what? Certainly not the facts if the matter. Spousal abuse is a criminal offense. Has Mr. Porter been charged or had any suits brought against him, except in the kangaroo court of public opinion? He's bad and unforgivably so, in perpetuity. Liberal "caring". Twenty years after she came forward they finally concede that "Juanita spoke the truth". Yet the Clinton portrait and the rest of his legacy stands untarnished alongside Reagan's, the Bushs' and the Obama's.
2
It's a job, employers are not courts. They can and should retain or fire people based on their own standards. We are just seeing Trump's standards here, it's perfectly clear.
2
Brilliant piece. However, what continues to trouble me is that it is not just the Trump White House that is hostile to the safety of women, that wants white men to rule, unfettered, that wants to disembowel health care, attack reproductive rights, attack gay rights, attack civil rights and engage in vanity wars and a host of other things I find outrageous: it's virtually the entire Republican party and a good portion of the Democratic party, as well.
One thing at a time. Choosing to protect a wife beater is unforgivable. The belief underlying that choice can only be that the woman deserved it. Defending that abhorrent belief should be grounds for impeachment.
30
We should re-open President Trump's files too. I'm wondering whether Trump is on verge of his fifth business bankruptcy.
14
The op-ed answered its own question. Porter was one of the relatively few members of the Trump Adminstration who was competent. So he was kept on by Kelly despite failure to qualify for a security clearance.
My take is that Kelly and other insiders know that the Trump administration is riddled with more egregiously compromised people from the top down, and in comparison, Porter just didn’t stand out as a risk to be concerned about. At least his vulnerability was known.
13
Trumpism has attempted to make redemption (admitting doing harm, making amends, changing and them being forgiven and being granted trust) obsolete and unnecessary. Will it be answered by just desserts or continued moral decay?
7
I agree with the point's made in this article and hopefully #MeToo and other movements, and our culture generally, will continue to bring violence and sexual harassment against women to the forefront. But there is an aspect to all of these articles and discussions that is always missing: innocent until proven guilty. This is a fundamental element of our criminal justice system and a key differentiator of democracies vs. theocracies and dictatorships. We lose this presumption at our peril.
What do we do when the person alleged of abuse denies it? Do we automatically convict in the court of public opinion? Do we fire before their day in court? That is certainly what is going on in the current environment, because NEVER is the tenet of innocent until proven guilty ever discussed in these types of articles. I hope to God all of these #meToo -type allegations are true, because the damage done if they are false is truly irreparable.
4
I suspect that for public figures they (agree to) bow out because they are either (1) guilty and want to minimize their exposure, or (2) innocent but running through due process would be a major distraction and air too much dirty laundry.
I agree with almost all of this article, however I believe the backlash is a result of discussing valid concerns, like due process, in the same breath with discussions about excusing abusers because they haven't abused everyone and discussions about separating the art from the artist. Conflating these issues is what makes men feel like there are too many who believe that correcting this situation will necessarily--not unfortunately--require that innocents be destroyed along with the guilty. Let's shine a light on abuse and sexual harassment, let's punish the guilty, let's change the culture. But let's try to recognize that not all men--accused or not--are guilty and protecting the innocent, on all sides, is important.
5
Trump is all about image and Rob Porter seems to have come right out of central casting. Porter is tall, handsome, has a full head of his own hair, wears the right suits and appeals to the madmen psychology of the Trump administration. For an administration, that prefers form over substance, Rob Porter seems perfect. And he appeared to be competent at his job. Where else will you find that in the Trump administration?
Trump has always considered due process to be optional and a nuisance. It is, therefore, expendable. Let's recall the Central Park Five whom Trump wanted to kill even after they were determined to be innocent because the DNA didn't match. Nonetheless, Trump called for them to executed and said so publicly. Where was their due process? It didn't matter because Trump had already determined that they were guilty. They were also very black. And now he is in charge of so much more. If process gets in the way of one's narrative, just ditch the process and go with the predetermined "right" outcome. It allows one to skip a lot of steps and get to "justice" so much sooner.
26
Thank you for this lucid and honest essay. I have been waiting for someone to talk about this "foundational ethos" of the Trump administration. It's all of a piece with our current back-to-the-50s-Daddy-knows-best backlash. You could also make connections to how domestic violence is one of the prime indicators in mass shootings. There is a sickness now in many American men that is bubbling through our institutions and civic life. Trump and his world is the sludge that has come to the surface.
18
Dear Ms. West: Of course I agree with your sentiments. What I really want to say though is that you are a marvelously good writer, a stand-out even among the NYT op-ed cadre. I sure hope we see more from you.
29
A fish rots from the head. Algebraically speaking, negativity multiplies negativity. One gets into this White House, and most of the current Republican circle, by demonstrating or expressing a willingness to hide, collude, take, deceive. After all, by apparent measures, isn't that how Mr. Trump got here? The MAGA game is to impress and enrich the monied powerful plutocrats to gain their approval and resources, at the expense of however many others it takes to maintain that approval. If that includes lies, subjugation, oppression and breaking faith, so be it. The game becomes absurd when the gamesters are too incompetent to realize their own incompetence, when the swirl of deception circles back and reveals their vice.
Clearly, no one at the WH broaches being told how to staff it or run it. For them, like the board meetings and dealings of private corporations, what they do and say is not for public knowledge. They believe it is none of our business. Hence the mishmash of measures to hide the misbehavior or venality of its personnel. But aside from matters of national security, most of what the WH says and does IS the people's business.
It will be time in November, if not loudly and clearly sooner, to remind the occupants of that fact.
It is far from obvious to me that the perfidy of this WH is grasped by a majority of the people who voted for him. They have been voodoo mind melded into a kind of stupor. Let's hope that women, most of all, will MAGA in great numbers.
9
If one follows this logic,you would also seperate thousands of men from a paycheck if they were fired for domestic abuse. There are large numbers involved here and because of dependence most women do not call in the criminal justice system. If they did the social disruption would be more than the system could endure. This one creep should be fired but there is a much larger systemic problem here.
91
Most abusers are mediocre men, who since they are beating up wives they supposedly love and who are considerably weaker and smaller than they, are violent men with no control over their anger and rage.
Society and women should have no tolerance and no pity. Trading a dangerous and damaging life for support is foolish. Allowing no punishment for assault and battery is not
Porter had an extremely prestigious high paying high status job and was chosen over many other applicants. His domestic violence past should have excluded him from consideration, or caused his dismissal. Can't get the security clearance required for your job, 99.999% of people would be dismissed. Who wants to work with a violent and rage-filled person?
Given most men do not abuse their wives,they should also not see this as some criticism of every man. But men as a group can help to marginalize these folks and punish them. Threat of punishment keeps many people in check, it is when the rules aren't enforced, when he says she says becomes an excuse, that there is no incentive to learn self control. If Porter had been put in a corner for bullying his classmate at age 5, or more importantly have been taught his actions were wrong, maybe the Mrs. Porters would have been spared the abuses and Mr Porter could have had a successful life.
1
There are lots of smart women who should get these jobs instead.
3
I hope that all women pay attention to the horrible anti-women, anti-child, anti-family ethos and policies of Trump and the Republican party that was described here by Ms. West. Remember this opinion piece when you step into the voting booth this November. Do something to reverse this regressive anti-women trend. Vote out your Republican representatives during the midterms and bring back some civility to the US.
33
So, I was working in a restaurant when I was in college, and the manager had a problem. His grill cook was a racist. Some waitresses let the manager know about this by relaying things that the cook said. It made them uncomfortable. But the manager was loath to confront the cook because the cook was such a good cook. Anyway, there was a busboy, who was black, and this busboy got sick of getting bad meals--meals he was entitled to--from the grill cook. So the busboy asked the manager to do something about it, and the manager went to the cook and tried to reason with him. The cook seemed to soften, but he didn't change his ways; he kept denying the busboy a decent meal. The manager tried to placate the busboy because he was a good busboy, and he tried to placate the cook because he was a good cook. Finally, one night, there were angry words between the cook and the busboy, and the cook said to the manager, "Fire that busboy or I'm leaving." The manager didn't like being intimidated, so he fired the cook instead. But, before the cook left that night, he poured water into a hot deep-fryer, sending a column of grease up into the air like a geyser that fouled the kitchen so badly it took us all night to clean it. Moral of the story: Sure, the guy may be competent, but if he's got a major character flaw--and you know it--you're tempting fate by keeping him on.
25
Women who vote republican are a mystery to me. Republicans don’t care about us, they don’t propose policy to support us, I am pretty sure they despise us. Vote in every election, every time. Vote like your independence depends on it. Vote for your daughters, granddaughters and their children. Vote for all local, state and national candidates. Stand up and be counted....don’t miss an opportunity to vote.
64
Why vote directly against your own interests? Take a trip around the South. Talk to the women there. It won't be a mystery as to why women vote republican. The South still fosters a heavily patriarchal society and women there are treated second rate for the most part, although not as brazenly as minorities. Sons are valued more than daughters. Children are taught to abide by strict gender roles. Roll into this that many of the women GOP voters are not educated, lack any type of skills, and haven't had many experiences beyond the life they have always known, it's not a surprise they vote for a GOP which disparages them at every turn. They're used to being belittled. It's part of their way of life. Many southerners are taught that all democrats are socialists who will stop at nothing to control every aspect of their lives. Who wants to vote for that? The filter of news is heavily dominated by conservative outlets which spends most of its time propagating myths and complaining about the MSM more than they report. Many of which have women commentators who actively fight against women's rights movements. As well, factor in that most women don't like other women. Many liberals see this and ask how could this be, but how could they not? GOP women like to be second rate and they demonstrate that with their votes. Why vote for women empowerment when that means they actually have to do something with that power.
2
Deirdre
Do you ever notice when you see pictures of the Republicans standing behind Trump that there are not many women standing there? These pictures say it all about the Republican Party and the role of women. They, the republicans, want us to be visible only when we need to make them look good. Just look at Melania Trump in pictures. She is only there when the Donald is in trouble with the press and his abuse of women. It is called cover my you know what.
1
But what we're facing is also: if companies have to fire men who mistreat their wives (children?), there's going to be a lot of unemployed men on the horizon. Will HR departments do a background check about marital life? I understand the technicality about FBI security clearance Porter didn't get because he beat up his 3 partners, but how will companies handle similar situations? That's the subtext I read from The Donald: whatever happened behind closed doors was Porter's business, he was a good guy, in his parlance. On the tsunami roiling the battle of the sexes, this is the biggest wave, probably an even more secret one that needs to come lout loud and clear.
2
Excellent and thoughtful piece. Thank you.
7
This White House has an uncanny ability to ignore inconvenient truths and to lie with abandon. It is pathological in its attitude and treatment of women, minorities, poor people, and our Mother Earth and threatens the long term health of the republic.
13
You have described the distilled essence of the Republican Party. Donald trump is it’s life’s blood, it beating heart. There is a reason why 60 million people voted for him—because this is what they stand for.
9
So much of the information about Hitchcock is from bad books by hack writers. His relationship with Tippi Hedren, based in her account, is certainly disturbing but Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly remained find of him until their deaths. And the idea of looking for the man in his work as yiur colleague AO Scott recently did with Woody Allen's career is intellectually facile.
"John Kelly, aware of the allegations for months, 'told associates that Porter was one of the few competent professionals on his staff...'”
John Kelly, long (and inaccurately) lauded as the "adult-in-the-room," the anti-chaos agent and the guy with discipline, doesn't even know how to conduct a job search to replace either Porter himself or the other staff members he deems incompetent?! I think that's the White House equivalent of failing basic training.
318
One one thing to consider in addition to the excellent points in this essay is the role being played by the religious right in the Trump administration and the GOP. There is much bragging about the “open door” of the White House to the most radical of leaders in the mysoginist, racist and hierarchical system of religious arrogance and narrowness. Their silence on moral issues like care of those in need and their outright support for wifely submission, homophobia and white supremacy have helped both the administration and the GOP spin their messages as God pleasing and consistent with ethical and religious values. They aren’t. As a person of faith, I wish someone would do some well researched journalism on the role the religious right is playing in promoting a society of intolerance, negativity, and violence.
10
Bruce
The Christian Right see Donald Trump as someone they can manipulate to their thinking. The Christian Right will praise Trump and tell him what a great man he is because then they will be able promote their racist and twisted religious ideas. What hypocrites the so called Christian ministers and followers are. Just listen to Franklin Graham saying that Christians are not perfect when referring to Trump. It truly is disheartening to Christians like me and you.
Um, isn't the point here that not only is his behavior criminal, but he can be black mailed for hiding it. Oh, plus, if he victimizes people he perceives as less powerful, perhaps that will be part of his decision making. No, I doubt very much that he was "doing a good job" and stop promoting this without facts.
7
But even his ex wife says he should have remained in the job. And reading his resume and background I have to agree with her. He seems to have been the single smartest, best educated, stable and professional person in the WH. And there are so few of them there, that for him to be ousted seems just plain wrong.
4
What? This is America and surely there is at least one person, even a woman who has the skills and background to do this job. The bigger problem is that such people don't want to work there because it will rub off of them. So, I guess the only people who will realistically take those positions are tainted before they start.
10
His (ex)wife didn't hire him to work at the WHouse.
His (ex)wife didn't make the WHouse lie.
His (ex)wife didn't make him resign/fired.
His (ex) wife didn't make him a Spouse Puncher.
Though she's prevalent, she has 0 Responsibility as to why he's not working at the WHouse, unless you're going to blame her Jawbone or Eyesocket?
7
YES!! Well put.
Thank you Mr. Antney.
1
Simply the most trenchant, colorful, and gimlet-eyed essay I've read in years.
28
Excellent summary of Trumpism in the emerging age of revising how his very dated, old boy network view of women survives in the corrupt White House. What amazes me is how people call themselves evangelical and support his views toward women and minorities and immigrants. These people are expert at "separating art from artist" and go further in their zealous adoration of Trump and his ilk. One of the best lines in this column is, "What a luxurious degree of compartmentalization we afford white men." Their day is coming, or maybe it's finally here.
22
"Americans are, arguably, too adept at such compartmentalization. It is our defining sickness."
Not just Americans; it's always been a problem throughout human history. One pervasive element you didn't mention is religion--Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Daoism, etc., etc. It really doesn't matter which one; they've all been routinely invoked to justify bad behavior of all types, but particularly patriarchy and misogyny. The American Evangelical movement, in particular, loves to point out how awful Muslims are, starting (but not ending) with "Radical Islamic Terrorism."
It reeks of "whataboutism" in my mind as they simultaneously use Biblical arguments to keep women in their rightful place: barefoot and pregnant, metaphorically if not literally. Here's a subtle, non-violent example. VP Mike Pence won't dine alone with any woman not his wife. That automatically limits the time, access, and influence that any woman, no matter how qualified or capable, has in this administration. It starts at the top.
Pence isn't alone, obviously. But this self-proclaimed "Christian" zealot is the poster child of Sinclair Lewis' prescient observation, "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
28
Isn't really about having standards? They don't have any in the executive branch , because trump doesn't have any. It's a roiling snake pit of hissing vipers. Ratting on each other, hiding secrets or spilling secrets. Walking on egg shells and knocking into walls. They don't have "the vision thing". Most of them would love to quit( but that would "look bad") . The scariest want to stay because they love the power. What an unholy mess.
15
Wrong title for what is an excellent, thought-provoking piece that affords a glimmer of hope. These days I'll grab any glimmer that shines my way.
11
hmmm... but if the abuser is a millionaire football player, we don't allow them to play for a few games & then cheer them on, ... This issue is much broader than "white male privilege" .... though "capitalism" is certainly a figure in both cases.
12
Except, seems the NFL has higher Hiring Standards than the WHouse,..as it pertains to Spouse/Women Punchers.
3
Ray Rice will never play football again. No team will sign him. The NFL certainly could have handled situations of domestic abuse in much better fashion. But they've got nothing on this White House when it comes to clueless incompetence and outright dissembling.
1
We will see a constant stream of stories designed to energize women voters till the midterms are over. I'd like to point out we've already had a president who by todays standards has been "credibly " accused of forcible rape. Also it's easy and effective to divide people for political gain but eventually you end up with the mess we have today.
What a simply ridiculous thing to say. The stories about energized female voters are news, not merely an effort to energize them for the midterms. Let me point out that no one has ever complained about women being "divided" from society and culture before--not until we began to complain about it and refuse to go along. I have to say that a comment like yours reminds me of the old saw: "when did you stop beating your wife?"
2
Thank you Lindy West. Compartmentalization is easy for the powerful and those in charge of delivering messages to our country, but it doesn't work so well for those who are the victims of these (mostly) men. Women who have been raped, beaten, harassed on the job, or molested do not feel less inner pain because the man who assaulted them loves his mother or pampers his retriever. Millions of women feel a palpable disgust for men like Donald Trump, who express contempt for all women who are not young (or have sustained enough plastic surgery to pass), thin, white, and made up and dressed like a Fox newsreader.
2018 has the potential to be the year of the woman- the women I know are not compartmentalizing at all. Trump and his merry men are dangerous, toxic role models. The past may be catching up with these men- we need to make sure their cruel and selfish past does not create the future for our children and grandchildren.
10
When are we going to hold the women that raised these men accountable?
2
We should hold their mothers accountable but not their fathers?
7
When we hold their fathers accountable for instilling misogynist attitudes in their sons.
5
Or their fathers? Domestic abuse is often learned at home.
4
If I may extrapolate; lets all hang ourselves. Lindy West, self described “Shrill Notes From a Loud Woman” does not seem to allow for societal evolution and forget about women owning anything what so ever. I get #metoo but I will not except irrationality, anti-logic, or sadistic revenge. The proposition that women are better than men in any way is exploded in the fact that given the same contextual circumstances women behave the same as men do. Take a look at powerful women's behavior, in everything from politics to marriage to lesbian relationships. People are people, our biological history cannot simply be dispensed with. While it is right for West to fight for Women we cannot allow her and those like her to lead us over the cliff of false paradigms.
Completely lacking in self awareness West states; "Americans are, arguably, too adept at such compartmentalization. It is our defining sickness." while narrowing her field of vision down to that of 10X jewelers loop. What, all of a sudden humanity is to be understood in the context of our biological inheritance? Completely disregarding the fact (I think) that most men respect and care for the women in their lives and live in mutual give and take. How many millions of men voted for Hilary, if that means anything to West. And though it seldom seems to strike woman as meaningful I think it behooves us to remember that women are the primary caretakers of young males instructing us in the basic truths of life.
5
It’s hard to say what’s the right way to approach separating art from the artist, and the entertainment business would likely take a huge hit if most people chose to boycott the work product of abusers as we’ve probably just scratched the surface of what’s been going on for years.
What to do years after the fact is one thing to debate, but when we’re practically in the moment it is particularly appalling to learn about all of the enablers and protectors of Porter, regardless of his skills, but it’s not surprising coming from Trump after his support of a likely child abuser like Roy Moore and his own expertise in misogyny and mistreatment of women.
8
This Porter situation again reinforces the dichotomy between Trump and his minions's words and actions. When will everyone see that their words have no meaning?
5
thank you so much. This is a wonderful, thoughtful opinion and should be
read by everyone, including the White House.
12
The final two major paragraphs should be required reading in every domain grappling with similar issues. My experience is as a former CEO dealing with venture capital. I believe Emily Chang has laid some significant groundwork for this level of discourse in Silicon Valley. The writer in this piece gives us a framework for how to collectively think through next steps.
12
Amen! If only this fine and important essay were one of the 'pieces of paper' Rob Porter put on Trump's desk -- but neither of them would read, heed, or understand the depth of its meaning.
We are a product of our history. That which has always been shameful about our past-- slavery; relentless war; attempted genocide of native tribes; abuse of women, the poor, and minorities of color -- is on full display in this administration and in the party that supports it. The hatred oozing from the White House cannot be denied.
7
I can both lament the character of Wagner and be thrilled by his sublime music.
But there's not much of a thrill in knowing a government employee (whose salary I pay) commits violent domestic crimes is allowed access to classified documents, and receives praises from his bosses.
8
Brilliantly formulated, absoluting stunning. We shall persist.
7
Sometimes the past catches up in surprising ways. In Germany there are plaques in the pavement to commemorate the Jews who lived in that house you walk by. In the West Bank in Israel there are road blocks to remind the Palestinians of their status. We can only compartmentalize so much until we realize how important it must be to credit everyone with the dignity they expect and deserve.
18
I wonder what my grandsons will think of women, their role in life, their very beings. I am hoping my daughters will set them straight.
And I also wonder just how much my granddaughter would think she needs to “put up with” in her role of a woman in this country. I hope my daughter will set her straight, too.
And I hope my daughters are clear - your president, kids, is not an example of right in any way.
56
How about telling them: "Do not judge all men based on the egregious actions of a few."
3
"I wonder what my grandsons will think of women, their role in life, their very beings. I am hoping my daughters will set them straight."
Do you ever wonder what your daughters or granddaughters will think of men, their very beings? Do you hope a man will set them straight?
I'm curious because I'm trying to figure out what to tell my 2 sons about what they think they need to "put up with", in their roles as men, from women in this country.
If your grandsons fail to appropriately respect women will it be your daughters failure, your's, or someone else's?
2
Perhaps the contradictions inherent in the discourse from the White House constitute a strategy. We've learned that a segment of the public bases their version of reality wholly on media sources to which they "feel" loyalty, without considering other viewpoints. With this recent history, perhaps the Trump White House has discovered that they can release varying versions of "the truth" and the loyal base will pick the right "facts". Trump's appeal to his base is emotional, hence they seem not to be troubled by rational arguments. I doubt they will pay much attention to this current scandal.
19
Yes. The war they wage is against truth and reason. Old fashioned concepts almost as outdated as virtue and duty.
This started with the elevation of equivalency arguments replacing reasoned judgement on individual arguments.
I’ve tried to ban those comparison type arguments from political conversations with friends with some success.
1
Great and vibrant writing here. Perks me up in the face of darkness..
126
And who can forget: 'Nobody respects women more than me'.
Theater of the absurd with new material virtually every day.
175
The other question that needs to be asked is whether the millions of Trump supporters care about such allegations. Don't forget: Trump is living in a reality tv world and if his base continues to support him, he couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks. Remember, he's yet to offer any kind word to Porter's two ex-wives except to say that they are tarnishing a good man's reputation.
75
Good question! Right now T supporters probably don’t care at all, or they don’t understand the specific situation well enough to grasp the particular danger Porter could have posed to national security, or they just don’t want to bother to examine their own prejudices eg, hostility to women. Very few honorable men or women in this crowd.
In some cases, however, T supporters on the hinterlands may begin to see the light. Case in point, all the rural, elderly, disabled, etc., who will, according to a different story today, get inferior food through government procedures and choices for half of their SNAP support. This, instead of being able to purchase fresh, nutritious food of their own choosing, is just another example of the nastiness in this administration !! Ketchup as a fruit, perhaps—a page right out of the Reagan playbook!! But at least Reagan did not molest women!!
2
Trump and his supporters believe that they are mroe valuable than most other people. Robert Mercer stated that he is worth more than 6 million others. So why is anyone surprised about this?
38
I wonder what role the impressive resume of Rob's dad has played in his drawn out exposure as a wife beater? I wonder how many people are buying his story that his wife's black eye came from a struggle over a vase? I wonder if his superiors General Kelly and Donnie thought that smacking a few women around might be appropriate depending on the circumstances? This authoritarian administration where the tired and wretched of the earth are blamed for all problems has me wondering more and more every day about where we are headed as a nation.
100
Meanwhile, Pres. Trump is creating more jobs weekly. Which do you REALLY think grown adults will remember on Election Day?
Yesterday in Florida Democrats flipped a seat for the State House. The seat went to the Democratic victor, who won by 8 points. Trump had won the district by 5 points. Lewandowski and other big names in the GOP campaigned for the losing Republican. Trump, just keep up your winning.
10
My company gave out $1,000 bonuses on Dec. 28th and has had 5 layoffs since Trump was elected. The people fired will remember that tax breaks for millionaires and corporations didn't save their jobs and now Trump's policies endanger their social security and Medicare at a time where their income is lower.
10
For this president the rule of law is optional .
Check and balance is mandatory to protect our democracy.
12
Porter's actions show that he uses power to get what isn't given to him and what he has no right to get. But that's the defining theme of the administration, from Trump on down to his cabinet officials taking planes at taxpayer expense to see the eclipse, favoring cronies with contracts, etc, etc.
32
This is an administration that is built on the principle of always blaming others. Whether and how we can or should separate the good and bad in people and their actions are profound questions. But in a truly competent White House the question about Rob Porter would never come up because not one of those people would be there.
21
In my experience, the FBI never grants an interim clearance higher than Secret. Also, before you get to see any Counter-Intelligence information, you have to pass a CI-polygraph. Finally, to gain access to the highest levels of information, you have to pass a Full Scope (aka Lifestyle) polygraph.
If Porter has been doing the work typically performed by a senior aide to the president with only an interim secret clearance, he is in serious legal jeopardy, as is anyone who knowingly allowed him access to such information.
111
I do not believe that the FBI "grants" clearances of any kind. They just do the background checks, and the reports go to other entities that may or may not grant clearances.
3
You are correct. However, I have never heard of anyone being granted a clearance that went against the recommendation of the FBI. If you are aware of such an event, I would be very interested in knowing the circumstances. Thanks for keeping me honest.
1
As a management consultant who has helped "facilitate change" in a few dozen organizations, I have seen over and over the main obstacle to accepting a new idea or a new norm. Change out there requires change in here. If women are to be treated with dignity, I must examine my conscience, study the ins and outs of treating someone with dignity, and then I must change my behavior accordingly.
It's inconvenient, like being forced to stop shouting racial epithets in public just because a group I care nothing about is demanding it. Or being forced to sell a cake to a couple whose presence in my bakery disgusts me.
I've even heard grown men groan that the #metoo movement is messing up Valentine's Day, a holiday lower in esteem than Groundhog's Day in the estimation of most men I know.
Human rights are just fine, as long as they are happening over in the UN or in some Middle East country. When human rights start requiring me to reconfigure how I act around nearby human beings, that's when I balk.
My rest is being disturbed.
85
There is no reason to suspect that there are few Rob Porters in the world. Domestic violence does not necessarily manifest itself with more public other types of violence. His workplace behavior was apparently exemplary. This could happen. It's the White House response to its disclosure at issue.
The refusal of the White House to believe the reports given by the FBI is more than disturbing; it is condemning. It reflects the incredible top-down arrogance that is the principal identifier of this White House's culture.
Donald Trump accepts no facts as true unless they comport with his own beliefs, which beliefs are just his emotions writ poorly. And Kelly, Mnuchin, Cohn, Mulvaney, Pruitt, etc. bear the same arrogance. They refuse to accept others' opinions irrespective of how well respected may be the sources and how well researched the data if those opinions differ from their unsupported and unsupportable beliefs.
And there are staff enablers whose primary jobs are to tell their superiors how wonderful they are and to readily agree. No contrary opinions are permitted.
We have a country being run by people for whom "ignorance is bliss" is a mantra. They know little and do not want to know more.
This plot has been seen before in many books and movies. Usually a hero emerges to save everyone. Otherwise, it always ends poorly. I see no one in this administration with any potential for heroism.
70
"I fail to see how the notion that the executive branch gets its intelligence from The Daily Mail could possibly be reassuring . . ."
Actually, this tidbit immediately exposes the Trump administration is lying in this case, since we all know they get their news (and, apparently, their "intelligence") from Fox and Friends.
18
A public face and a private face sounds 2-faced. Most of us practice this to some degree. If you don't, then congratulations, because you're keepin' it real!
1
"The past is never dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner
Thank you for a thoughtful, well written essay on privilege, past and present. We have a lot work ahead of us, and as you point out it's 'a privilege, not a burden, to get to witness and participate in this conversation, to build better institutions and better systems together.'
27
This is a brilliant variation on the means/ends dilemma that underlies virtually all ethical choices. In our nation, and capitalism as a whole, women, the poor, and racial and ethical minorities have routinely been sacrificed to what are regarded as worthy goals. The powerless fall prey to the powerful, with the desire and the objectives of the powerful vaporized and needs and worthiness of the victims dismissed.
You need not toss the Declaration and Constitution to recognize the evil of both slavery and the great men, slaveowners all, who rationalized it. You can admire “To Take a Thief,” and yet deplore behavior of the man who created it. But today’s world, one would hope, you cannot best your wife and serve in government, win and Oscar or lead a corporation.
We respect your talent, we should tell these people - but not you. The ends, whatever they may be, and even if we all find them laudable and desirable, do not justify the means.
202
The author's use of the word "superiors'" in reference to those in positions above Porter is a subtle, perhaps unintended, slip to imply that we live where others are superior. The fact that Trump occupies the Oval Office does not make him superior in any way.
I reserve the word to mean someone better, not higher ranking and certainly not given to one who has the burden of the number of faults that Trump and most of those surrounding him exhibit on a daily basis.
The word, however, applies admirably to the attitude and disdain that his press secretary exhibits whenever she sneers at legitimate questions from the media. To tolerate that interactive approach when a president is trying to lead a country does, indeed, show what 'superior' means by all accounts.
Confidence is needed. The appearance, at least, of concern and compassion is crucial to gaining the support of those who elected you to that high office.
2
A wonderful essay!!! I agree with TL that this should be read out loud on the floor of our Senates and Houses in every State and, especially in DC. Too many of our reps are tone deaf to the issues articulated in this essay. They appear to be well trained in various professions but uneducated otherwise. Read this essay and also say the pledge with a pause at "with liberty and justice for all." Then read aloud the Bill of Rights. We need to face ourselves in the mirror and do a much better job of living up to the best that we can be.
12
Brilliantly written and chock-full of sentences and paragraphs that need to be slogans during upcoming campaigns to right countless wrongs. But, to me the best, the one that made me both laugh our loud and scratch my head why no one else had yet pointed this out with respect to the timing of Mr. Porter’s departure is the line: “I fail to see how the notion that the executive branch gets its intelligence from The Daily Mail could possibly be reassuring to any sentient creature crawling this planet’s sizzling crust, but many things are beyond me these days.”
46
Insightful and powerful as always, Ms. West. Thank you. May I remind everyone to vote as if their lives depend upon it. It does.
66
Didn’t Porter work for a Senator prior to entering the WH? Why wouldn’t he have gone through a security clearance check then? Please investigate this issue as Senators have access to classified materials and their aides are supposed to be cleared as well. If this should have been done, and wasn’t, the Senator should step down from office.
10
Porter was formerly Chief of Staff for Orrin Hatch of Utah.
This brilliant piece goes all the way in. It's such a relief to read it; to have it all boiled down in one essay; to have women's pain spoken of and defined; to realize others understand!!
10
So powerfully stated and broadly thought! You keep writing, Sister, and giving us words to express how it is . Thank you from so many of us.
14
The Rob Porter story, like so many during this sorry excuse for a Presidential administration, illustrates the importance of a free and vital press.
Our President and his staff apparently think that they can bury it so deep it cannot be found, but enterprising journalists and, in this case, brave women uncover it and reveal it in all of its ugly truth.
First, the lie to themselves and, second, when caught, they lie to the American people even when the truth becomes public so that fact might somehow become fiction.
Like a steady stream of water, however, against a rocky shore, the truth eventually erodes the lies.
Thank you to journalists and to those, both known and unknown, who step forward to help them do their jobs for all of us.
81
Excellent analysis. Thanks to these prophetic movements, where truth is spoken to power in unequivocal ways, society’s tolerance for abusers has diminished.
Now that abuse has been demystified, the social complacency with cheating must now be systematically addressed. This is a far more daunting task.
5
So much of the information about Hitchcock is from bad books by hack writers. His relationship with Tippi Hedren, based in her account, is certainly disturbing but Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly remained fond of him until their deaths. And the idea of looking for the man in his work as your colleague AO Scott recently did with Woody Allen's career is intellectually facile. One can support the me too movement and still be against censorship. By all means look for misogynistic images in his films (they are there) but also recognize the great empathy his films show to his most classic heroines (yes even in Marnie). But don't think that someone's work is anonymous with his character
3
A wonderful essay, until the last third, where the writer has bit off more than she can comfortably chew and veers off into too many arguments at once. As much as we'd like to simplify things and say that everything is the same thing, it's not.
That said, the personal is political. If you have no respect for others (and, for example, beat them up, because you think they exist for your pleasure, and you like hitting people) than that lack of respect translates into not considering some people as 'real people.' In this administration, the people that aren't real people are female , and people of color, and gay people, and trans people, and children of immigrants. That's a lot of people, and that disrespect is manifest in our methods of so called 'law enforcement,' our gun laws, our tax laws, and our commitment to social welfare. Because this gang doesn't believe that constitutional rights are everyone's rights. They believe that those rights are only for people who look like them.
I for one would like to know a little more about Hope Hick's relationship with Porter. And it's time for her to resign, as she knew about these allegations.
11
Some beautiful, eloquent writing here.
9
Is the dancer separate from the dance? Does a flawed humanity manifest itself in art? I’ve considered that question since those awakening years as an undergraduate and I have no definitive answer. But in politics surely the politician is both actor and the act itself. Politics is, after all, about how we treat each other, individually and collectively.
109
"I think it’s also fair to say that a man who lashes out at women with physical violence, as Porter allegedly has, harbors some degree of hatred for them."
Hatred can be linked to fear, even it's hard to think of grown mean fearing women.
And yet, I believe it--with Trump's focus on stoking male anger at some sense of powerlessness, what's more reflexive than trying to keep women in their "traditional" roles subservient to, and aiming to please, their male bosses, colleagues, and husbands.
Just look at many of the FOX News shows--the stereotypical blond with in feminine garb sitting on that couch opining the current memes of the day--softly, not assertively.
The other point I liked was the author's use of the word "compartmentalization" that convinces power brokers that private sins are to be tolerated for the greater good of "competence."
In the case of Porter, it seemed a reasonable trade-off, given how hard it is for this administration to attract, and keep, talent.
Or, could it be, that Porter's covert misogyny has some sort of instinctive, animal appeal to the men who run the White House? An unsubtle fraternity trying to recreate a 50s culture in twenty-first century society?
221
Ah, the good old days -- the 1850s -- when *everyone* knew their place.
6
This should be read out loud today on the floor of the Senates and Houses in every state and federal government. It is, on this Valentine’s Day, a love letter to the best that is America: a flawed country but one with ideals worth living up to. America is, and always should be, a work in progress. We have work to do, so let’s get doing it. With love for what we can, and want, to be.
243
Presumably.
But I think it prudent to caution: not everyone believes in those ideals, or wants them to be more fully realized in time.
This country was originally settled by religious zealots who actively repressed the "not us" as much as by those looking to set up a tolerant environment. For every Roger Williams there was a whole group of Puritans.
And these competing viewpoints have gone on throughout our history. "All men are created equal"--though not those of color. And no mention of women. Later, slavery was outlawed--but sharecropping was fine. "Separate but equal". And so on.
Though it can be argues progress has been made, such progress is tenuous. Many, many Americans just pay lip service to these cherished ideals, and many don't even bother. A flawed country with good ideals, yes. But not if those ideals don't have broad support. And it's arguable, in the aftermath of the Orange Revolution, that these ideals don't have the support many would hope.
3
What if this White House had leveled with the American people and said we knew about Porter and we decided that based on his competence and the passage of time since these incidents with his wives he would stay on our staff? Wouldn’t the outrage have been less? I think so. What is most galling about this presidency is the hate and disdain shown for us from their by constant lies. This group insists on telling lies for no good reason. It’s almost a group sickness.
204
It's strange to me why this issue is the one where Trump doesn't double down as usual. Why does he seem to believe that this is an issue he can't just say 'yeah we knew and we didn't care because he was good at his job' and keep his base on his side?
The answer to this question defines the boundary of how far Trump believes his base will - and won't follow him.
10
I absolutely disagree. The protests would have been ongoing and vociferous.
7
I don't think I want anyone who has physically abused several women running my government. They might be a bit skewed in making decisions. The foundation of this administration is to demolish the power of truth and facts so I doubt there will be an outbreak of honesty.
5
Love this essay and its call for us to examine privilege (and not just oppression). And however difficult, we need to consider nuances in our responses to abuse and abusers. If we compartmentalize, we are destined to commit transgressions parallel to those we scrutinize.
92
Great, thoughtful essay. The issue of separating art from artist is complex and raises myriad questions. However, having people who are demonstrably uncaring in control of our government is unquestionably tragic, not least because a large minority of voters mindlessly support them.
225
Donald Trump was a brilliant campaigner in that he zeroed in on the resentment and prejudices of a significant number of Americans. He was right when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Ave. and not lose any support. His supporters are still in the minority and the correction that is needed will take place in future elections IF those who are not part of his support go to the polls and vote for Democrats. If you don't like voting for Democrats then you must be satisfied with Trump.
9
You don't have to like voting for Democrats to despise Trump. You just have to hold your nose and vote for them this November. If conservatives want their party back and want to get out of this mess with anything of the country left, they must vote for Democrats as the Republican Party has been hijacked.
2
Remarkable essay—about much more than the headline suggests. Important to realize that the daily scandals of the Trump administration are not aberrations but reflective of their values and those of their party. The broader question about separating art from artist is more complicated, and often the truth is unknowable (as we look further into the past). It’s also a test we don’t apply to other “made” things (e.g., are the personal failings of an architect important to someone who buys a home a generation later?). Wonderfully thoughtful essay!
341
Thank you, Golden Rose. My thoughts exactly on Ms. West's brilliant essay.
2
So how far back in history should people go to be critical of an institution?
Is yesterday too far back?
A time line of the NYT's own practice of due diligence and impart lack of:
https://www.nytco.com/quinn-norton-named-to-editorial-board/
https://twitter.com/NYTimesPR/status/963502764377731074
https://nyti.ms/2BXGorL