‘All kinds of ways of getting a black eye’: Ben Stein stuns MSNBC host with awful defense of White House aide

Actor, comedian and former White House speech writer Ben Stein stunned an MSNBC host on Sunday afternoon after first saying he believes the accusations leveled by the wife of ousted White House staffer Robert Porter, only to turn around and cast doubt on the black-eye she sported in a photo given to the FBI.

Speaking with host David Gura, Stein -- better known to many as a teacher in the popular film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' -- recalled his time working for President Richard Nixon before delving into the scandal still engulfing President Trump's White House.

According to Stein, he approves of Trump's assertion that the accused deserve "due process," but that Porter's ex-wife seemed credible since she wasn't just some person who met the White House staffer "at a bus stop."

"I think the president is right to want to talk about it," Stein explained. "The president is doing something fine by saying I uphold due process of law. I think it would be wrong if the president said, 'okay, from now on we're going to go on the basis of allegations.'"

"I'm not going to say mere allegations, allegations from a man's wife are extremely important," he continued. "I've been married 52 years, and I think I can tell you when a man's wife says something about the man, she's probably more right than he is, generally speaking. But there's no reason to believe this man has been deprived of his rights under due process as a friend of Trump, as an official of Trump's."

Turning to the now-infamous photograph of ex-Porter wife Colbie Holderness's black eye, Stein cast some doubt on how it was sustained without it being examined as part of a full inquiry.

"I don't know how she got that injury," Stein explained. "I mean, she says he hit her and she's probably right, but I'd like to see due process of law unfold. There are all kinds of ways of getting a black eye. In all likelihood she's correct, but there are all kinds of ways of getting a black eye and I'd like to know more specifics. I'd like to have him have a defense counsel defend him."

"I don't want him being pilloried in the press and tortured and tormented by the press just because he's a friend and ally of President Trump," he added. "That doesn't mean he gives up his rights to due process."

You can watch the video below via MSNBC: