Most books about the Trump presidency have been from exacting reporters and disgruntled former staffers. But one book is from someone who still seems to be on his side. In Here’s the Deal, Kellyanne Conway details her stint as the former president’s counselor, a job she did while her own husband fought to stop her boss’ re-election. There’s still plenty of dirt, including a claim that he almost quit the 2016 race shortly before he won.
As per The Daily Beast, Conway delves into the aftermath of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump was caught making leud comments about women, including that he liked to “grab them by the p*ssy.” The bombshell almost — but not quite — upended his presidential aspirations, mere weeks before election day. Conway claims even he wondered if his political days had ended.
Worried that the GOP could force him off the ticket amidst the scandal, Trump reportedly asked Conway, “Should I get out [of the race]?”
Conway then explained to him that he “actually can’t” quit, “unless you want to forfeit and throw the whole damn thing to Hillary.”
Trump then reportedly fired back, saying, “What do you mean, I can’t?”
Conway then pointed out that early voting had already began, so quitting because of a scandal would be pointless. She then buttered his ego. “I know you don’t like to lose,” she claimed to have said, “but I also know you don’t like to quit.”
Even after that, Trump allegedly had doubts, asking Conway, “Will I lose? Will we lose? Can we still win?”
At the time, Conway went on news shows to defend Trump’s language, even claiming that what he said about advancing on women without their consent wasn’t “sexual assault.” In her book, however, she claims she told Trump to his face that his comments were “disgusting” and “reprehensible.”
Conway also wondered if Trump, who reportedly tried to claim the tape was a fake, was really testing her. Her claims directly contradict Trump’s own public appearances at the time. After the video surfaced, he told The Wall Street Journal that there was “zero chance I’ll quit,” and “I never, ever give up.”
(Via The Daily Beast)