Rob Porter’s Ex-Wife: ‘If He Hasn’t Already Been Abusive’ with Hope Hicks, ‘He Will’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT We re ░░░░░░░░ to Jenny Willoughby one ░░░░░░░░ two women alleging spousal ░░░░░░░░ at the hand of ░░░░░░░░ porter Porter s first ░░░░░░░░ who you hadn t ░░░░░░░░ Colby reached out to ░░░░░░░░ in 2017 after the ░░░░░░░░ had interviewed both of ░░░░░░░░ When you started to ░░░░░░░░ her story when you ░░░░░░░░ met I m wondering ░░░░░░░░ that experience was like ░░░░░░░░ I mean she s ░░░░░░░░ numerous acts of physical ░░░░░░░░ of choking you know ░░░░░░░░ pushed down on a ░░░░░░░░ held down and a ░░░░░░░░ placed on her And ░░░░░░░░ the photographs of her ░░░░░░░░ a black eye Yeah ░░░░░░░░ of all I just ░░░░░░░░ am in awe of ░░░░░░░░ and her bravery and ░░░░░░░░ to share that as ░░░░░░░░ as she has When ░░░░░░░░ met in March of ░░░░░░░░ after we had both ░░░░░░░░ to sort of rehash ░░░░░░░░ experiences with the FBI ░░░░░░░░ was it was almost ░░░░░░░░ a longtime validation because ░░░░░░░░ being in that relationship ░░░░░░░░ knew on some level ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t me ░░░░░░░░ that colbie had to ░░░░░░░░ experienced similar things even ░░░░░░░░ rob manipulated the story ░░░░░░░░ his marriage about her ░░░░░░░░ times I knew it ░░░░░░░░ to be similar So ░░░░░░░░ I met her and ░░░░░░░░ described the insults and ░░░░░░░░ systematic tearing down of ░░░░░░░░ that we knew to ░░░░░░░░ true about ourselves I ░░░░░░░░ immediately thought oh I ░░░░░░░░ t alone You know ░░░░░░░░ deep down I had ░░░░░░░░ that That must have ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinary feeling to ░░░░░░░░ wait a minute this ░░░░░░░░ not me This has ░░░░░░░░ before Yeah and I ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ abusive relationships because of ░░░░░░░░ constant insidious breaking down ░░░░░░░░ that confidence and of ░░░░░░░░ even knowledge of sense ░░░░░░░░ self start to believe ░░░░░░░░ it really is something ░░░░░░░░ they re doing or ░░░░░░░░ that they in some ░░░░░░░░ deserved because of their ░░░░░░░░ And for me I ░░░░░░░░ I just sort of ░░░░░░░░ it once it became ░░░░░░░░ norm and I lost ░░░░░░░░ lot of confidence and ░░░░░░░░ accepted that s what ░░░░░░░░ was And it took ░░░░░░░░ to get past that ░░░░░░░░ but it took meeting ░░░░░░░░ and really hearing her ░░░░░░░░ and sharing my story ░░░░░░░░ us both going yeah ░░░░░░░░ That happened to me ░░░░░░░░ before I could really ░░░░░░░░ the magnitude of it ░░░░░░░░ you saw the photographs ░░░░░░░░ her with the black ░░░░░░░░ which rob porter said ░░░░░░░░ took the photos and ░░░░░░░░ the story behind it ░░░░░░░░ different than what she ░░░░░░░░ alleging colbie says actually ░░░░░░░░ has now said yes ░░░░░░░░ did take the photos ░░░░░░░░ she actually made him ░░░░░░░░ the photos as sort ░░░░░░░░ an act of contrition ░░░░░░░░ she says that he ░░░░░░░░ her But I m ░░░░░░░░ wondering when you saw ░░░░░░░░ saw those photographs did ░░░░░░░░ show them to you ░░░░░░░░ didn t show them ░░░░░░░░ me When we met ░░░░░░░░ March she did tell ░░░░░░░░ that they existed So ░░░░░░░░ seeing the photo said ░░░░░░░░ new to you Yes ░░░░░░░░ m wondering how that ░░░░░░░░ that impacted you You ░░░░░░░░ I would be lying ░░░░░░░░ I said I didn ░░░░░░░░ feel lucky That the ░░░░░░░░ that I endured wasn ░░░░░░░░ like that Even when ░░░░░░░░ told me some of ░░░░░░░░ things that she experienced ░░░░░░░░ was almost like an ░░░░░░░░ reality Until I m ░░░░░░░░ it and hearing her ░░░░░░░░ of it now And ░░░░░░░░ another woman reached out ░░░░░░░░ you more recently In ░░░░░░░░ is that right That ░░░░░░░░ correct So was that ░░░░░░░░ the FBI or before ░░░░░░░░ that was well before ░░░░░░░░ was contacted by a ░░░░░░░░ via Facebook I don ░░░░░░░░ know her We don ░░░░░░░░ have any mutual friends ░░░░░░░░ February of 2016 I ░░░░░░░░ traveling internationally so I ░░░░░░░░ t correspond with her ░░░░░░░░ much but she essentially ░░░░░░░░ out to me saying ░░░░░░░░ she was in a ░░░░░░░░ with rob She had ░░░░░░░░ for several years And ░░░░░░░░ experiencing abuse and feeling ░░░░░░░░ and felt that the ░░░░░░░░ she had shared with ░░░░░░░░ t believe her and ░░░░░░░░ was isolated and alone ░░░░░░░░ she wanted to know ░░░░░░░░ she was Am I ░░░░░░░░ am I crazy I ░░░░░░░░ were her exact questions ░░░░░░░░ she looking to get ░░░░░░░░ of the relationship It ░░░░░░░░ in her correspondence with ░░░░░░░░ that she had recently ░░░░░░░░ the relationship and was ░░░░░░░░ feeling the extreme deflation ░░░░░░░░ comes with that You ░░░░░░░░ been exhausted and on ░░░░░░░░ heightened adrenaline for so ░░░░░░░░ in a relationship like ░░░░░░░░ I think she was ░░░░░░░░ of feeling that drain ░░░░░░░░ that exhaustion However I ░░░░░░░░ find out a couple ░░░░░░░░ later when she contacted ░░░░░░░░ again that they actually ░░░░░░░░ still in a relationship ░░░░░░░░ the FBI came to ░░░░░░░░ was it did you ░░░░░░░░ they start asking questions ░░░░░░░░ they know about the ░░░░░░░░ of abuse Or was ░░░░░░░░ something that They didn ░░░░░░░░ ask me specific questions ░░░░░░░░ abuse Having never done ░░░░░░░░ security background interview that ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ there were specific targeted ░░░░░░░░ but it seems to ░░░░░░░░ they did a fairly ░░░░░░░░ background check and they ░░░░░░░░ asking me to describe ░░░░░░░░ character asking me to ░░░░░░░░ anything that I thought ░░░░░░░░ be problematic in his ░░░░░░░░ and they did ask ░░░░░░░░ wads the nature of ░░░░░░░░ relationship and they did ░░░░░░░░ if I felt that ░░░░░░░░ would be different professionally ░░░░░░░░ privately And I was ░░░░░░░░ candid and Frank and ░░░░░░░░ with them about my ░░░░░░░░ You had been you ░░░░░░░░ in touch with porter ░░░░░░░░ after the divorce You ░░░░░░░░ would you say cordial ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Would you see ░░░░░░░░ or talk on the ░░░░░░░░ I think once or ░░░░░░░░ over the four years ░░░░░░░░ probably saw each other ░░░░░░░░ we saw each other ░░░░░░░░ least once or twice ░░░░░░░░ he know the FBI ░░░░░░░░ to you and was ░░░░░░░░ concerned at all Because ░░░░░░░░ were in contact he ░░░░░░░░ me know that the ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ me and got the ░░░░░░░░ so they could Just ░░░░░░░░ procedure Yeah and leading ░░░░░░░░ to the interview he ░░░░░░░░ me what I intended ░░░░░░░░ say And what types ░░░░░░░░ things I would say ░░░░░░░░ him And I was ░░░░░░░░ with him about what ░░░░░░░░ planned to say And ░░░░░░░░ the FBI interview he ░░░░░░░░ to know the same ░░░░░░░░ what types of things ░░░░░░░░ they ask and what ░░░░░░░░ said Rob was aware ░░░░░░░░ what I shared with ░░░░░░░░ FBI Was he concerned ░░░░░░░░ what his first wife ░░░░░░░░ Yes Do you think ░░░░░░░░ past actions should prevent ░░░░░░░░ from working in the ░░░░░░░░ House That s such ░░░░░░░░ difficult question for me ░░░░░░░░ answer And I have ░░░░░░░░ asked it multiple times ░░░░░░░░ mulling it over and ░░░░░░░░ s sort of a ░░░░░░░░ question I think for ░░░░░░░░ today You know can ░░░░░░░░ separate a man from ░░░░░░░░ mistakes if we want ░░░░░░░░ call it that Or ░░░░░░░░ we separate a man ░░░░░░░░ work from his private ░░░░░░░░ And for me especially ░░░░░░░░ that I m feeling ░░░░░░░░ empowered that I have ░░░░░░░░ my story that I ░░░░░░░░ sharing details that even ░░░░░░░░ closest family and friends ░░░░░░░░ t know and I ░░░░░░░░ sharing that publicly I ░░░░░░░░ feeling more and more ░░░░░░░░ that we need to ░░░░░░░░ a conversation that anyone ░░░░░░░░ is manipulative or abusive ░░░░░░░░ power or abusive in ░░░░░░░░ way is held accountable ░░░░░░░░ of what they contribute ░░░░░░░░ it s really concerning ░░░░░░░░ me that that s ░░░░░░░░ the discussion has been ░░░░░░░░ well but what did ░░░░░░░░ contribute What was his ░░░░░░░░ As opposed to you ░░░░░░░░ this is a troubled ░░░░░░░░ with issues that needs ░░░░░░░░