NEW YORK — Kellyanne Conway told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he embarrassed himself following a tense exchange Thursday where he asked the White House counselor to respond to her husband’s criticism of President Trump on television.
Lawyer George Conway has frequently attacked his wife’s boss on social media. MSNBC brought him into the studio Wednesday to serve as an analyst during its coverage of the House impeachment hearings.
Blitzer, toward the end of an in-studio interview with Kellyanne Conway on Thursday morning, said he had a sensitive but substantive question for her.
“I don’t want to talk about your marriage,” he said. “I know there are issues there.”
Conway seemed taken aback.
“What did you say?” she asked. “You don’t want to talk about my marriage but there are issues there? Why would you say that?”
Conway noted that there was no shortage of Trump critics who appear on CNN and MSNBC and wondered why Blitzer brought up her husband.
“Because he’s a legal scholar, he’s a lawyer, and he was really going after the president of the United States,” Blitzer said. “He was all over television yesterday.”
Responded Conway: “And the relevance is, come on, wait for it, drumroll, he’s married to me.”
CNN rolled a tape of George Conway criticizing Trump for using foreign policy to advance his own interests. It aired on a split screen, as another camera followed his wife’s reaction.
Kellyanne Conway said it was “his opinion.’’
“What you just quoted is said every single day by other voices,” Conway said. “But you wanted to put it in my husband’s voice because you think somehow that will help your ratings or that you’re really sticking it to Kellyanne Conway. And let me make it very clear, you didn’t stick it to Kellyanne Conway. I think you embarrassed yourself and I’m embarrassed for you.”
MSNBC didn’t bring up Kellyanne when her husband was on the air Wednesday, although anchor Brian Williams gave a knowing reference to “yes, that George Conway,” when introducing him.
Associated Press
Trump Jr.’s book makes bestseller list
NEW YORK — Donald Trump Jr.’s “Triggered” is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, although not without an edge.
“Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us” came out last week and tops the hardcover nonfiction list that will appear in the Nov. 24 edition of the Times.
Among those celebrating was President Trump, who tweeted, “Wow! Was just told that my son’s book, ‘Triggered,’ is Number One on The New York Times Bestseller List. Congratulations Don!”
A dagger symbol appears next to the listing, indicating that some of the sales were “bulk purchases,” often meaning that the author or someone associated with the author bought a substantial number of copies. A spokesman for the Republican National Committee, Steve Guest, said Thursday that the RNC has been offering “Triggered” as a fund-raising incentive, a common practice for political books.
Guest said copies were bought ‘‘to keep up with demand,’’ not in a ‘‘large bulk purchase.’’
“Triggered” also placed high on the weekly report compiled by NPD BookScan, which tracks around 85 percent of the print market. According to BookScan, “Triggered” sold 71,000 copies last week, second only to Jeff Kinney’s latest “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” NPD could not immediately determine how many of those sales were bulk sales.
Associated Press