President Donald Trump downplayed domestic violence in a Monday speech as part of his White House Religious Liberty Commission — and was hit by swift condemnation.
Not only were onlookers outraged by the president's dismissal of spousal abuse, some also called out Trump's own long history with women. The so-called "Access Hollywood" tape, for example, recorded Trump bragging that he can grab women's genitals without consent.
Trump had been complaining that domestic crimes were being counted in Washington, DC — which, he said, was diminishing the success of him sending in troops to tackle crime.
"If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say, this was a crime, see?" he added. "So now I can't claim 100%."
His comment was made on the same day that an appeals court ruled unanimously against Trump's appeal of a defamation case in which he relentlessly attacked E. Jean Carroll publicly, claiming she was lying when she claimed he sexually assaulted her in a department store.
It also happens while Trump is being criticized for his administration working to conceal the files around the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself after being arrested for sex trafficking and child molestation.
"Just the president Benedict Donald co-signing that your husband beating you or forcing you to have sex against your will is ‘like no biggie,'" wrote actor Rachel True on X.
The Voter Protection Project account on X characterized it, "Donald Trump just said domestic violence shouldn't be a crime." The group noted it was "curious to see how MAGA will try to spin this."
Politico columnist Jonathan Martin expected the upcoming spin would be, "Look, he was on the Old Testament section of the speech."
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) posted a screen capture of a reporter in which biographer Harry Hurt III said that he acquired Ivana Trump's divorce deposition in which she alleged that Trump raped her."
Republican and Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell called it, "Just a casual dismissal of domestic violence as a crime."
Professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, Justin Wolfers, posted, "Let me say what the President won't: Domestic violence is not okay. It's immoral, illegal and abusive, and no real man is okay would do it, approve of it, or minimize it."
"Utah is one of the worst states in the nation for women's equality. Republicans here will defend against those claims forcefully, but they won't back away from their support of a president that endorses domestic violence. Their claims are hollow," wrote Utah state Sen. Nate Blouin.
Lawyer Mark Ramos called the comment, "Grossly irresponsible. And un-Christian. Yet *that's who he is* - zero change from his entitled, amoral, "grab 'em" bully mindset. If you supported him before for whatever policy or party loyalty or false promises, it's not too late to stop ignoring his vile idiocy. Your choice."
"That 'see' at the end is as evil as the statement because it frames bs as empirical evidence. Smh," said college faculty member Antoine Hardy.
Analyst Julie Roginsky wrote on X, "Of course the man whose wife accused him or rape and tearing out chunks of her hair would say this."
Researcher Will Stancil called on officials to say something. "Every single Democrat should instantly condemn him for this and demand a retraction and apology. They should demand Republicans condemn it too, although they'll be too cowardly to do it. Blow it up. He's supporting domestic violence - it's grotesque and nightmarish," he wrote on X.