Donald Trump is calling for a grand parade of U.S. armed forces through the streets of Washington, and the White House is dealing with the fallout of abuse allegations against one of the president’s top aides.
The U.S. stock market also saw its worst week in two years while the government stumbled into its second shutdown of the year.
Here’s what you missed in the world of Donald Trump.
Feb. 8: White House staff scandal
One of Trump’s top White House aides has resigned following allegations of domestic abuse leveled against him by his two ex-wives.
Staff secretary Rob Porter said in a written statement that allegations that became public this week are “outrageous” and “simply false.”
“I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” Porter said in a statement.
READ MORE: White House aide Rob Porter stepping down amid domestic abuse allegations by 2 ex-wives
In several media interviews, Porter’s former wives described a pattern of physical and verbal abuse they say he subjected them to during their marriages.
“He threw me down on the bed and punched me in the face. I think he was shocked that he had lost control to that extent,” Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, told The Intercept describing a vacation in Florence in 2005.
Porter’s second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, told CNN and the Daily Mail that she also endured traumatic emotional abuse from her former husband.
READ MORE: Why Donald Trump has little influence on rising or falling stocks
In a blog post from April 2017, Willoughby described the alleged abuse in detail.
“The first time he called me a ‘f—ing b—h’ was on our honeymoon,” Willoughby wrote. “I filed a protective order with the police because he punched in the glass on our front door while I was locked inside.”
Pressure has mounted on White House chief of staff John Kelly who came under fire for allegedly knowing about the allegations against Porter before promoting him.
Also Thursday, the government faced a brief shutdown just before as a rogue Senate Republican Rand Paul blocked a vote on the massive, bipartisan spending deal. Lawmakers eventually reached an agreement Friday that is expected to push budget deficits into $1 trillion-a-year territory.
WATCH ABOVE: White House on FBI text messages
A tweet Wednesday morning from President Trump read: “NEW FBI TEXTS ARE BOMBSHELLS!”
Trump was referring to a Fox News report that FBI lawyer Lisa Page and FBI agent Peter Strzok had a text message exchange in September 2016, stating that Obama wanted “to know everything we’re doing.” They are part of over 380 pages of text messages between Page and Strzok that have been released.
READ MORE: Donald Trump says newly released FBI text messages are ‘BOMBSHELLS’
Conservatives, including the president, have seized on the texts as evidence of a conspiracy during the Obama administration to minimize the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email.
However, as previously reported, the texts from Strzok and Page were actually about Obama wanting to learn more about Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Also Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to the United States amid bitter trade talks over the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Feb. 6: Trump wants a parade
The president has asked for a large-scale military parade to roll through the streets of Washington, and the Pentagon is apparently reviewing potential dates.
“President Trump is incredibly supportive of America’s great service members who risk their lives every day to keep our country safe,” White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. “He has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”
Some critics blasted the idea of a “North-Korea style” event while others questioned the cost behind a parade.
“I don’t believe we should have tanks or nuclear weapons going down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin told CNN on Tuesday night.
READ MORE: Donald Trump claims ‘good news’ makes stock market decline
The New York Times is reporting that lawyers for President Trump have advised him against sitting down for a wide-ranging interview with special counsel Robert S. Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. His lawyers are worried that Trump could be charged with lying to investigators as the president has a long history of making false claims.
Also Tuesday, Trump remained largely silent after dramatic global market sell-off plunged the Dow Jones Industrial Average down nearly 1,600 points in rollercoaster afternoon trading. When the dust settled for the day, the Dow ended down 1,175 points, or 4.6 per cent, at 24,346, which rattled both Wall Street and Washington.
Feb. 5: ‘Un-American’ and ‘Treasonous’
Trump called Democrats “un-American” and “treasonous” on Monday for failing to stand and applaud his economic policies during his State of the Union address last week.
READ MORE: Release of Democrats’ Russia counter memo approved by House panel
While the White House said Trump was “clearly joking,” his comments sparked an angry reaction from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who lost her legs while serving in Iraq, shot back at Trump on Twitter saying she does not “mindlessly cater to the whims of Cadet Bone Spurs.” Duckworth appeared to be referencing Trump’s draft deferments. He received five draft deferments throughout the Vietnam War, including one because of bone spurs.
Also Monday, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously to release a Democratic rebuttal to a disputed memo containing GOP accusations that the FBI misled a secret surveillance court.
Earlier in the day, a furious Trump lashed out at Rep. Adam Schiff after the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said the memo doesn’t vindicate the president of any misconduct.
“Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington,” Trump tweeted.
*With files from the Associated Press
Comments