Kellyanne Conway has gone on the offensive for Donald Trump since taking over as his campaign manager at the start of August. Conway joined the campaign around the same time as Breitbart head Steve Bannon, but she has since stood out as the public face running the campaign. This was very clear when she stopped by Real Time on Friday to trade blows with Bill Maher — something she’s been doing for 20 years according to the host’s friendly intro.
Compared to her spin-heavy news appearances, Conway seemed softened by Maher’s friendliness while still sticking her guns on her candidate’s many statements, gaffes, and outright lies. Maher kicks it off with the jokey statement that she’s “enabling pure evil,” but by the end, it really feels like he believes that. He goes over a list of Trump lies and comments, reading a line from The Art Of The Deal that references “playing to people’s fantasies” and Trump’s use of “truthful hyperbole.” This prompts the host to admit he’s nervous about the election, not because Trump is good but because “people are stupid.” Maher also brings up the lawsuit the candidate brought against him that was apparently laughed out of court, but none of this seems to sway Conway.
The best part comes when Conway claims she can’t support someone who “lies for a living” after Maher’s laundry list of provable lies from Trump and the Trump campaign.
Later during “New Rules,” Maher continues on the threads created in his interview with Conway, calling for a return to decency in the political discussion. He pulls out examples from all the parties, even laying some criticism on Ruth Bader Ginsburg while showing how it has brought any real political progression to a standstill. “When you act like an assh*le, you’re a hero,” according to Maher, using scenes from other foreign parliaments and governments to highlight the path he believes we’re on. For Maher, Ted Cruz filibustering by reading Green Eggs And Ham is a few steps removed from all out bedlam on the floor of Congress.
Kerry Washington also stops by the show to show off her baby bump and talk the election, heaping a lot of praise on Kellyanne Conway in the process. But she’s also quick to add that Conway and Ivanka Trump won’t be the ones with their “finger on the button.”
(Via Real Time)