By Kallie Gregg
Staff Writer
Senior White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway made waves in the news cycle several times Monday and Tuesday, and is at the center of several controversial news stories.
As the scandal surrounding former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn unfolded over the course of Monday, Conway’s remarks to the press were repeatedly at odds with the reality of the situation.
At around 5 p.m. Monday, Conway told reporters that President Donald J. Trump and the White House had “full confidence” in Flynn, despite reports that he had broken protocol in a December phone call with the Russian Ambassador.
By 10 p.m., Flynn formally tendered his resignation from his position.
Discussing the issue in a televised interview on Tuesday, Conway’s quotes to the press were once again in contrast to other members of the Trump administration.
Conway reported that Flynn voluntarily stepped down. However, only hours later, Press Secretary Sean Spicer told the White House press corps that President Trump asked Flynn to resign, explaining that the phone call scandal eroded trust between the president and the general.
In an interview with Matt Lauer on the “Today Show,” Conway was unable to answer basic questions about the circumstances of Flynn’s resignation, seeming confused about the timeline of events and at what time President Trump was informed of certain aspects of the situation.
Then, on Tuesday afternoon, Conway responded positively to a message from a self-proclaimed white nationalist on Twitter.
Twitter user “Lib Hypocrisy” (@TrumpTrainNoBrk) tweeted at Conway’s account, writing, “Your… resiliency in [the] face of vile hatred, bigotry, [and] sexism of [the] unhinged left is a daily inspiration! Love you.”
Conway wrote “Love you back,” in reply to the tweet.
“Lip Hypocrisy’s” user description on Twitter included the hashtags “#WhiteIdentity” and “#Nationalist.”
When questioned about the incident, Conway told Buzzfeed News that she had “no idea” who had access to her Twitter account.
“Let me see who tweeted that. That’s terrible. I denounce whoever it is,” she continued.
The tweet was swiftly removed from Conway’s Twitter profile.
Conway made headlines again before the day was out, as the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) found “reason to believe” that Conway had violated ethics rules.
Last Thursday, Conway appeared in a televised interview and urged American citizens to “go out and buy” clothing from Ivanka Trump’s fashion line, in response to Nordstrom’s announcement that they would no longer carry the label.
Conway’s remarks prompted complaints from both Democrats and Republicans, echoed in a letter from the OGE that was released on Tuesday evening.
“There is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted,” the OGE wrote.
