Rachael Maddow makes a good case that the Trump administration has a surprisingly high number of sexual abusers and wife beaters. Trump leads from the top, of course, with what, a dozen accusers so far? But then there’s Steve Bannen, and Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder, wife beaters both.
Heck, Russian President Putin recently decriminalized spousal abuse there: “Beatings of spouses or children that result in bruising or bleeding but not broken bones are punishable by 15 days in prison or a fine, if they do not happen more than once a year.” Hardly worth mentioning.
There are no secrets in Andy Puzder’s abuse allegations. Everyone knows about them, and they’re not a problem for Republicans. And it was public knowledge that Puzder’s wife appeared on Oprah to testify — in disguise — about the specific abuse. They were asked if that was a problem, and as late as last evening, Republican leaders were all completely positive about the nomination.
Shortly after midnight this morning, the videotape of Puzder’s wife on Oprah surfaced. Apparently, knowing about abuse in abstract is different from seeing the terrified woman on tape. By 4 AM, Puzder’s nomination was withdrawn.
