Six men accused of harming women Trump has defended

Washington is still reeling from the claims that president Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, sexually assaulted a California professor as a teenager.

After days of uncharacteristic silence, Trump sided with his nominee, describing him as an “outstanding man”.

But this isn’t the first time that Trump has sided with men accused of harming women. Given the fact that the president has been accused by roughly 20 women of sexual misconduct, this is hardly surprising. Yet there is a long list of accused men he has defended.

Rob Porter.

AFP/Getty Images

White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned after accusations emerged that he had abused his two former wives.

Startlingly, president Trump tweeted in his defence, complaining at the lack of “due process” relating to abuse allegations.

The allegations, which Porter denies, were reportedly known to White House officials before he was employed. Following his resignation, Trump praised and sympathised with Porter, saying that he “worked very hard” but was “very sad now”.

Roy Moore.

Getty Images

In November 2017, Trump defended Roy Moore, a Republican Senate candidate, who had been accused of sexually assaulting teenage girls.

Moore also denied the allegations and eventually lost to Democrat Doug Jones.

Responding to the allegations, Trump said:

He totally denies it. He says it didn’t happen. You have to listen to him, also.

Bill O’Reilly.

Getty Images

Fox News' Bill O’Reilly was removed from the network in April after it emerged that five women had received financial settlements after claiming he had sexually harassed them.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump suggested that O’Reilly, a longtime friend, should not have settled with his accusers as he did not think he had done “anything wrong”.

He said:

Because you should have taken it all the way; I don’t think Bill did anything wrong. I think he’s a person I know well. He is a good person.

Roger Ailes.

Getty Images

Former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes was removed in 2016 after claims of sexual harassment by a female news anchor. Ailes advised Trump before the televised presidential debates.

Trump said he “felt very badly” for Ailes, who passed away in 2017. Again, he described the alleged perpetrator as “a good person”, making the incredulous claim that he has “helped” his accusers.

He said:

I can tell you that some of the women that are complaining, I know how much he’s helped them.

And now all of a sudden they’re saying these horrible things about him. It’s very sad. Because he’s a very good person.

Corey Lewandowski.

Getty Images

In March 2016, Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was charged with battery after reporter Michelle Fields accused him of grabbing her and bruising her arm.

Like the others on this list, Lewandowski denied the charge, which was eventually dropped.

Trump questioned Fields’s story, saying:

How do you know those bruises weren’t there before? Wouldn’t you think she would have yelled out a scream if she had bruises on her arm?

H/T: New York Times

More: Trump defends his infamous Mexican 'rapists' comment during rambling speech