Defending President Donald Trump’s repeated racist attacks against a group of Democratic congresswomen of color, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway claimed on Tuesday that the so-called “Squad” represents a “dark underbelly in this country” and that some of the lawmakers are “palling around with terrorists.”
Moments after Republican House leaders held a news conference in which they supported the president and announced they wouldn’t back a Democratic motion to censure Trump for his racist tweets, Conway appeared on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom to discuss the latest developments in this multi-day saga.
“The Democratic response is very predictable,” she said. “You hardly need to cover it. Racism, xenophobia and it is getting tired. These four that cause trouble in their own caucus were under fire a couple days ago by senior Democrats, elected officials.”
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After Conway blasted the group—which consists of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib—co-anchor Bill Hemmer asked the White House aide why Trump started a fight with the group of young lawmakers if they were already under fire from their own party’s leaders.
“I disagree with that assertion respectfully, Bill,” Conway replied. “What the president is doing is, we are tired—we’re sick and tired of many people in this country. Forget these four.”
She continued: “They represent a dark underbelly in this country of people who are not respecting our troops, are not giving them the resources and respect that they deserve. They voted against the military aid.”
The veteran pollster also declared that they are “tired of some of these women palling around with terrorists,” adding that one of the members of the group was “in pictures with somebody who was responsible for the murder of three Israeli soldiers.” (She was likely referring the Tlaib being photographed with Abbas Hamideh, a Hezbollah-backing Palestine activist.)
Conway would go on to reiterate that the president doesn’t regret his tweets calling for the women of color to “go back” to where “they came” from before being asked about her own husband’s allegations that Trump is bigoted and racist.
“Do you agree with your husband?” Hemmer asked, referencing George Conway’s recent Washington Post op-ed.
“I totally disagree,” she exclaimed. “I work with this president, and I know him. I know his heart and actions and how much he has helped people of color, and I go by what people do, not what other people say about them.”
Conway further took issue with being asked about her husband’s opinions, insisting that she could “run around pointing out everybody’s disagreements with the people in their lives” but that she “won’t do that.”
