Political Twitter has a bone to pick with President Donald Trump over his tweet Saturday morning arguing that “lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation” of assault.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” his tweet said in defense of staff secretary Rob Porter, who left the White House amidst domestic abuse allegations from his two ex-wives. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 10, 2018
Social media, for the most part, was not pleased with the president’s comments which many thought was tantamount to him not believing the abused women. CNN anchor Jake Tapper pointed out that the evidence against Porter amounted to more than “mere allegation.”
“In point of fact, 2 ex-wives talking on the record to journalists and to the FBI and one ex-girlfriend on background, with a photo of a black eye and a police report, is not ‘a mere allegation,’” Tapper said in a tweet quoting Trump’s original.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, who has come out strong in criticism of the Trump administration, said if due process is what the president wants, then that should also apply to the more-than dozen accusations of sexual assault that have been made against him.
“The lives of survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse are being shattered every day,” she tweeted “If he wants due process for the over dozen sexual assault allegations against him, let’s have Congressional hearings tomorrow. I would support that and my colleagues should too.”
See more reactions below.
In point of fact, 2 ex-wives talking on the record to journalists and to the FBI and one ex-girlfriend on background, with a photo of a black eye and a police report, is not “a mere allegation.” https://t.co/yummWOW4qZ
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 10, 2018
Trump rises in belated defense of Al Franken … https://t.co/08i3EOe9r9
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) February 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/962357660971499520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fmedia%2F373268-journalists-push-back-after-trump-tweets-lives-being-destroyed-by-mere
CC: The Central Park Five https://t.co/ibVneLAdrA
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) February 10, 2018
President Trump continues to claim the 5 Black men from the Central Park jogger case are guilty. They were vindicated in 2002, a court vacated their convictions. A convicted murderer/rapist confessed. DNA evidence confirmed him. They won $41 mil from NYC. https://t.co/9qbavZg0K3
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) February 10, 2018
The President has shown through words and actions that he doesn’t value women. It’s not surprising that he doesn’t believe survivors or understand the national conversation that is happening.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 10, 2018
The lives of survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse are being shattered every day. If he wants due process for the over dozen sexual assault allegations against him, let’s have Congressional hearings tomorrow. I would support that and my colleagues should too.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 10, 2018