Former campaign manager turned transition affiliate Kellyanne Conway has received administrative job offers from Donald Trump before. The president-elect even allegedly asked the pollster if she’d work as his press secretary, which Conway claimed she “politely declined” during an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show. Yet the Donald’s latest proposal seems to have stuck, as the New York Times reports Conway will be appointed counselor to the president in the forthcoming administration.
In an official statement to the press, Trump lauded Conway for her endless efforts on and off the campaign trail — saying she’d remain a “close adviser” on his White House team:
“She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message,” Mr. Trump said. “I am pleased that she will be part of my senior team in the West Wing.”
Awful Saturday Night Live takes notwithstanding, Conway’s reported appointment makes a lot of sense. The frequent Trump media surrogate revealed in a New York magazine article that one of the best ways to advise the president-elect was to go on television and address him directly (due to his viewing habits), and seeing as how this method has often worked, Conway’s new role as counselor is perfect.
Former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon, who’ll serve as Trump’s chief strategist alongside Reince Priebus as chief of staff, will also serve Trump as a counselor of sorts. Unlike Conway, however, Bannon’s cited mentors of and methods for counseling are far more sinister.
Here’s an exclusive shot of Bannon informing Conway of her new appointment:
(Via New York Times)