Politics

Trump speechwriter David Sorensen quits White House following accusations of domestic abuse

Key Points
  • Another White House staffer has quit following allegations of domestic abuse.
  • David Sorensen, a speechwriter, resigned Friday after his wife accused him of being abusive during their marriage.
  • Sorensen denies the accusations.
President Donald Trump attends the National Prayer Breakfast at a hotel in Washington, DC on February 8, 2018.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images

Another White House staffer has quit following allegations of domestic abuse.

David Sorensen, a speechwriter who worked with Stephen Miller, a top advisor to President Donald Trump, resigned Friday after his wife accused him of being abusive during their marriage. The Washington Post first reported the allegations.

"Before we were contacted by the media, we learned last night that there were allegations," White House spokesman Raj Shah said. "We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today."

A White House official told NBC News that Sorensen's background check was ongoing, although his position did not require a security clearance.

Sorensen said in a statement that he, not his wife, was actually the "victim of repeated physical violence" in the marriage, according to the Post.

Sorensen's resignation came as the White House, particularly chief of staff John Kelly, struggled to contain the turmoil surrounding former staff secretary Rob Porter, who was accused of psychological and physical abuse by his two ex-wives. Porter resigned Wednesday.

"I think it's fair to say we all could have done better over the ... last few days in dealing with this situation," Shah told reporters Thursday.

Porter has denied the accusations against him, as well.