White House aide Kellyanne Conway argued Monday that the media and the American public should pay less attention to what President Donald Trump posts on Twitter, including his attack against London Mayor Sadiq Khan in the hours immediately following a terrorist attack in that city.
“Just a matter of taste and judgment and accuracy,” NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked Conway in an interview on “Today” Monday morning. “Does the President owe the London mayor an apology for tweeting a political attack in the hours after this terrorist incident, and also misleadingly quoting him. Was that a mistake?”
At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2017
Trump quoted Khan out of context — the London mayor was urging residents not to be alarmed at the increased police presence in the city, not the terrorist attack that had just occurred.
Conway said that Trump’s tweet “wasn’t a political attack,” and added later: “You want to make this about something other than what it’s about.”
“He’s the one who tweeted it,” Guthrie replied.
Conway accused Guthrie of focusing on the wrong stories.
“For every time you said ‘Russia,’ imagine if you said ‘ISIS,'” she said. “Every time you say ‘Twitter,’ imagine if you said ‘terrorists.’ Maybe we’d have a different type of vigilance.”
“In fairness,” Guthrie interjected, “he’s setting the agenda. He’s the President. He speaks. The reporters cover what he says.”
Guthrie acknowledged that Trump had called British Prime Minister Theresa May, but noted that, based on his Twitter account, Trump had been overwhelmingly focused on political matters.
In the hours after the attack, Trump used it to argue against restrictions on firearms and for his travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries. Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii cited Trump’s tweets when he temporarily blocked the President’s revised travel ban in March.
Conway said that the administration had reached out to British leadership to offer assistance and condolences.
“This obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter, and very little of what he does as President — ”
“That’s his preferred method of communication with the American people,” co-host Craig Melvin said.
“That’s not true,” Conway replied.
“Well he hasn’t given an interview in three weeks,” Melvin said. “So lately it has been his preferred method.”
After the interview, Trump kept attacking London’s mayor on Twitter.
Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his "no reason to be alarmed" statement. MSM is working hard to sell it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2017
Later on Monday, Conway responded to criticism of her comments:
1/2: Never said ignore tweets – said "This obsession with covering everything he says on Twitter & very little to what he does as POTUS…" https://t.co/ViTFQT5GLd
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) June 5, 2017
2/2: Just today at White House: major infrastructure/air traffic control reform, veterans reform, small businesswomen harmed by Obamacare. https://t.co/ViTFQT5GLd
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) June 5, 2017
Watch the exchange below via NBC:
This post has been updated.
Personally, I’d consider Trump’s insistence on tweeting blather to the world an obsession. Think what he could do for his image if he just stopped. But he can’t. It’s an obsession.
You really don’t want to use the word obsession when talking about Trump and his tweets, Kellyanne.
Just a little noun substitution…is that so wrong?
This is why we anti-love you KAC…
Who actually is the obsessed party in that conversation.
Kellyanne. I am sure that we all look forward to the days when Mr Trumps tweets are dismissed as the ramblings of an obsessive, demented idiot but as long as he is POTUS, we can’t do that.
Are you saying that he is or should not be POTUS?
NO.
The real question is why no one in the administration can control him and his erratic behavior on Twitter.