The trend of members of former President Donald Trump's Administration finding their consciences now that they're no longer in their jobs continues apace, and one of the administration's most prominent figures is joining the chorus this week.
Kellyanne Conway, who served as Senior Counselor to Trump and became infamous for trolling interviews where she coined terms like "alternative facts," now admits Trump lost the 2020 election in what is arguably the most high-profile betrayal of Trump yet.
Of course, she's written a book about it all, and in her forthcoming memoir, Conway also provides a blistering take-down of Trump's campaign and the "supplicants" and "sycophants" who continually enabled his Big Lie despite all evidence to the contrary.
One of Donald Trump’s most steadfast aides acknowledges in a new book that the president lost the 2020 election and says he was ill-advised by campaign staff and the election deniers who surrounded himhttps://t.co/IjSb62H4u8
— POLITICO (@politico) May 24, 2022
In her memoir, titled Here's the Deal, Conway describes an electoral loss that should have been an easy win for Trump--and one she says "Trump was more shocked to lose... than he was to win in 2016."
She writes:
"Despite the mountains of money Trump had raised, his team simply failed to get the job done."
"A job that was doable and had a clear path, if followed."
She then describes the lying and theatrics that ensued when Trump failed, with his staff telling Trump what he wanted to hear instead of the truth.
"Rather than accepting responsibility for the loss, they played along and lent full-throated encouragement (privately, not on TV) when Trump kept insisting he won."
Conway goes on to paint a picture of a campaign in increasing disarray and desperation to please Trump.
"By not confronting the candidate with the grim reality of his situation, that the proof had not surfaced to support the claims [of fraud], they denied him the evidence he sought and the respect he was due."
"Instead supplicant after sycophant after showman genuflected in front of the Resolute Desk and promised the president goods they could not deliver."
Trump's delusional supporters, too, figure heavily in Conway's retelling of the 2020 election.
"Stuck in a parallel universe, many Trump supporters deluded themselves into thinking that somehow the president would remain in office or be reinstated once gone."
On Twitter, Conway's revelations definitely raised some eyebrows.
Most honest thing she’s said.
— Christopher Harger 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@cmharger78) May 24, 2022
I have never liked Kellyanne Conway at all yet to deny the significance of this is missing the point. This is a BFD and a major admission by probably the most high profile MAGAt https://t.co/MKEFoQbWIG
— (((Matt Boxer)))#СлаваУкраїні! 🇺🇸🥁🇺🇦 (@MattBoxer94) May 24, 2022
In her new book, Kellyanne Conway does something few (if any) current Trump loyalists have done: she admits 2020 defeathttps://t.co/KucqdAfqTp
via @meridithmcgraw
— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 24, 2022
But many people were unimpressed and downright disgusted with what they saw as a too little, too late attempt at image rehab.
No Trumper should get credit for admitting he lost unless they also admit that Trump actively created a culture that incentivized his team to lie to him, placate his ego, and lie to the public.
You can't blame the team without blaming the leader.https://t.co/m4TYaeSgo3
— Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) May 24, 2022
I don't care what she says now. I care about what she said then. pic.twitter.com/lT2YdDOS1Z
— CuriousCheeze (@CuriousCheeze) May 24, 2022
Right on time - 17 months late and self-serving as can be.
— Mencken's Craggy Grandson (@Alclarke19A) May 24, 2022
#KellyanneConway made a fool out herself. Nasty, self serving, catty and mean. She gives women in leadership roles a bad name. Sit down Kelly, you are doing more harm then good. #TheView https://t.co/m5s4Rzf0vz
— Modern Harmony (@ModernHarmony) May 24, 2022
For the love of G-d, DO NOT buy Kellyanne Conway’s book. She was a constant enabler of all things.
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) May 19, 2022
Exactly no one is surprised that Kellyanne Conway has written a book. WAPO’s @AshleyRParker writes, Conway “depicts Trump as a feminist.” Talk about your alternative facts. And we learn that Trump offered her a blanket pardon. Does anyone still doubt his kids have pocket pardons?
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) May 24, 2022
There is nothing Kellyanne Conway has to say, be it book, song, painting, poem, interpretive dance, or commedia dell'arte pantomime, that I wish to listen to.
— Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) May 23, 2022
Conspicuously missing from Conway's sights, of course, is Trump himself, whom she paints as the victim of incompetent campaign aides, rather than the most powerful person in the world actively undermining the nation's very democracy with a concerted effort to overthrow a free and fair election. So, this revelation should not be seen as some selfless act of truth-telling, rather it's yet another instance of Conway spinning a narrative favorable to Trump.
Conway's book explores far more than the 2020 election, including a take-down of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, criticisms of Trump's handling of the pandemic, and her attempts to get Trump to stop the January 6 insurrection.
