Former Republican President Donald Trump lashed out at his former aide Kellyanne Conway after she revealed in a new book she personally told him he lost the 2020 presidential election to former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.
Conway, who served as Trump's campaign manager in 2016 and was later appointed Counselor to the President, writes in her new memoir Here's the Deal she “may have been the first person Donald Trump trusted in his inner circle who told him that he had come up short this time.”
Her admission angered Trump, who quickly denied she'd ever told him he'd lost the election he continues to allege was stolen despite all evidence to the contrary.
In a post to his social media network Truth Social, Trump said Conway "never told me that she thought we lost the election" and said if she had, "I wouldn’t have dealt with her any longer—she would have been wrong—could go back to her crazy husband," referring to conservative Republican attorney George Conway, with whom Trump has often publicly feuded.
Trump went on to suggest "Writing books can make people say some very strange things," though he did not provide any specific evidence to counter Conway's claim.
News of the friction between the two exposed them both to significant criticism on social media.
\u201c\u201cI don\u2019t really care\u2026let me know when the jail sentence starts.\u201d\n\nMight as well be the epitaph for the entire Trump administration.\n\nAs she begins her rehabilitation book tour, a reminder of Kellyanne\u2019s distinguished record of unlawful activity.\u201d— Peter Strzok (@Peter Strzok) 1653402612
\u201cKellyanne Conway is an accomplice to every horrible thing Trump did and she should have no place in public life ever again.\u201d— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1653417818
\u201cThis man is mentally ill. We allowed him to control nuclear weapons for four years. We're lucky to be alive.\nhttps://t.co/sacwRVaplm via @businessinsider\u201d— Richard W. Painter (@Richard W. Painter) 1653575167
\u201cIf DOJ cared to prosecute Trump, it\u2019d find incriminating evidence everywhere. This quote alone establishes \u201cwillful ignorance.\u201d\n\n\u201cKellyanne Conway never told me that she thought we lost the election. If she had, I wouldn\u2019t have dealt with her any longer.\u201d https://t.co/XClo5SrGqu\u201d— Seth Abramson (@Seth Abramson) 1653607975
\u201cExactly no one is surprised that Kellyanne Conway has written a book. WAPO\u2019s @AshleyRParker writes, Conway \u201cdepicts Trump as a feminist.\u201d Talk about your alternative facts. And we learn that Trump offered her a blanket pardon. Does anyone still doubt his kids have pocket pardons?\u201d— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner) 1653389766
\u201cTrump lied about me and Kellyanne has lied to me. That media props these people up is harmful. They can do better but won\u2019t. This is not a merit-based game.\u201d— Cheri Jacobus (@Cheri Jacobus) 1653654691
\u201cTo be fair, @KellyannePolls is the originator of the Trumpy-ist of phrases \u2018Alternative Facts\u2019\u201d— Amy Roark (@Amy Roark) 1653585895
\u201cSMDH. It's sad that he's surrounded by people who feed his delusions.\u201d— Amelious N. Whyte Jr., Ph.D. (@Amelious N. Whyte Jr., Ph.D.) 1653586029
\u201cNow trump no longer likes Kellyanne Conway because she indicates she told him he lost the election. They both lie so much it is hard to tell which one is finally telling some level of truth. I do doubt she ever told that narcissist that or he would have attacked her immediately\u201d— American Veteran (@American Veteran) 1653617462
\u201cIf Trump \u201cwon\u201d in 2020, then he\u2019s fulfilled his two terms and can\u2019t run again. https://t.co/aZC86lh4r8\u201d— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1653569818
Conway’s credibility has repeatedly come under fire because of her penchant for openly lying on behalf of Trump.
Trump appointed Conway as Counselor to the President shortly after winning the 2016 general election, referring to her in a statement as “a trusted adviser and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory.”
Not long after Trump took office, Conway gained notoriety for claiming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer “gave alternative facts” while lying about the attendance numbers at Trump’s inauguration, a claim that shocked even Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, who replied “Alternative facts are not facts. They’re falsehoods.”
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social