“I’m having enormous difficulty understanding how this White House functions.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden criticized the White House on Thursday for granting former Trump aide Rob Porter close access to the president despite apparent knowledge of previous allegations of domestic abuse against him.
Porter resigned Wednesday after the allegations from two ex-wives became public.
“I can’t explain it. It’s long past due that he left,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News when asked about Porter’s role in the White House.
According to CNN, top members of the White House staff, including chief of staff John Kelly, were aware of the accusations against Porter.
“I understand that he departed — if you just look at it from a perspective of one thing, the FBI didn’t think he should get a security clearance,” Biden said, referring to reports that the FBI had denied top security clearance to Porter.
Porter’s two ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness, explained in a report by the Daily Mail that Porter was physically and verbally abusive during the marriages. Porter has denied the accusations, saying in a statement, “These outrageous allegations are simply false.”
Porter is expected to leave his position in the White House as early as Thursday, although press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said he may stay on longer to ensure a smooth transition.
Biden spoke about the possibility that the White House knew about the allegations, comparing the situation in the White House to the #MeToo movement.
“Sure they knew… look, the culture’s changing, thank God, but not fast enough,” he said. “The idea that this would happen in the Oval Office — now, I don’t know, I heard — I was briefed on the way in that when the president found out about it, he said ‘go,’ and if that’s the case, if the president never knew about it, then good for the president.
“I’m having enormous difficulty understanding how this White House functions,” he added.
