Donald Trump earned some flack when it was announced he would remain an executive producer on NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice on Thursday. Even so, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway was quick to defend him on CNN’s New Day the following morning — claiming that Trump would only be involved during his “spare time.”
From an outsider’s perspective, Trump’s transition team seems like they are moving at a snail’s pace. The Republican nominee was cautious about preparing such a team on the campaign trail, and now that he’s president-elect, reports indicate Trump is getting minimal security briefings. Perhaps he’s overwhelmed — hence why the supposed “spare time” he will have remains a mystery. Yet Conway stresses Trump isn’t taking this matter lightly:
“He’s a very transparent guy. Everyone can see what he’s doing, and the fact is that he is conferring with all types of experts who tell him what he can do and not do as president of the United States. If this is one of the approved activities, then perhaps he will consider staying on.”
Conway herself was not off the hook, as her past comments about President Obama’s “spare time” became the topic of discussion. She claimed nobody complained when Obama played golf during his time in the White House, but New Day host Alisyn Camerota fact-checked Conway on the spot — noting she did, in fact, criticize Obama for playing golf. When asked if Trump wouldn’t be hitting the links during his time in office, Conway deflected and said every president should make time for some rest and relaxation:
“It certainly seems like there is a lot of time to do based on recent precedent while you’re President of the United States. But the point is the same. Whether it’s President Obama or President Donald Trump, the idea that these men are going to be all work and nothing else all the time is just unrealistic because it’s never happened in our lifetimes.”
It’s a valid point to make, as running the free world can be a stressful gig and hitting few rounds seems like a fine way to blow off steam. Yet comparing a few hours of golf to managing the creative direction of a television program doesn’t compute.