Overview

• Speaking to the White House Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible, President Trump said “a little fight with the wife” was being counted as crime.
• He touted a federally led crackdown in Washington and claimed crime was down “more than 87 percent” and “virtually nothing,” with an ABC reporter noting some audience laughter.
• Officials, journalists and advocacy groups across the political spectrum denounced the comment and urged a retraction or apology.
• A White House spokeswoman, identified in reports as Abigail Jackson, said he was “of course” not talking about or downplaying domestic violence.
• The speech coincided with a federal appeals court decision upholding the $83 million defamation judgment awarded to E. Jean Carroll.