WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump broke his weeklong silence on spousal abuse Wednesday, but only after declaring that everyone already knows his view on the subject.
"I am totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind," Trump said, according to a pool report by Newsday reporter Laura Figueroa. "Everyone knows that and it almost wouldn't even have to be said."
It wasn't said, for more than a week, as his White House has reeled from the resignations of two high-ranking officials accused of violence against former partners. The women told their stories months ago to FBI investigators conducting background checks on White House aides Rob Porter and David Sorenson, but the men did not leave the White House staff until the accounts went public.
Trump surrogates have expressed concern about family violence over the last week, but the president himself tweeted and spoke only about other subjects. Reporters repeatedly asked Trump surrogates why he wasn't saying so himself in front of cameras. Only on Wednesday did he first say so for himself.
