White House counselor Kellyanne Conway put a new spin on her “no quid pro quo” defense by comparing the ongoing impeachment testimonies to … a high school prom?
After saying that President Trump could release the first transcript of a phone call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in April “as soon as tomorrow,” Conway reiterated the White House’s “no quid pro quo” defense during an interview on Fox News Tuesday morning.
Earlier Tuesday morning, Trump pledged again that the transcript of the April call would be released “before week’s end” in a tweet. Trump previously told reporters on Saturday that he’d “probably” release the transcript of the April call on Tuesday.
Asked by Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer whether the April phone call was “harmless,” Conway was quick to claim that it was “perfect and benign.”
“Yes, the President would describe it as perfect and benign, the way he describes the one from July 25th,” Conway said.
Conway then took aim at how the closed-door impeachment testimonies of witnesses so far have said “I assumed, I interpreted, it’s conjecture.”
Last week, even after EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirmed a Ukraine quid pro quo in a revision to his previous testimony, both Conway and White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham railed against the section in Sondland’s testimony where he said that he’d “presumed that the aid suspension had become linked to the proposed anti-corruption statement.”
“And every witness up there so far has said I assumed, I interpreted, it’s conjecture,” Conway said. “I heard it from somebody, heard it from somebody, heard it from somebody, and here is my interpretation: Folks, that is not how we impeach and remove presidents who are democratically elected.”
Conway then oddly compared the impeachment inquiry process to how high school cheerleaders are asked to prom.
“That’s how the cheerleaders find out which one of them is going to be asked to the prom by the quarterback — he said, she said, he said, he thinks, I interpreted,” Conway said. “CIA does not stand for conjecture interpretation and assumptions. What are we doing?”
Watch Conway’s remarks below:
Conway makes prom comparison in dismissing impeachment testimonies pic.twitter.com/sqEhFl2B2Z
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 12, 2019
FFS, stop saying “quid pro quo.” The term quid pro quo is a morally neutral term that can apply, alike to a lawful exchange of valuta, a licit favor granted in expectation of a licit favor in the future, as well as bribery and extortion.
In all fairness, she’s never at her best after molting another exoskeleton.
I agree. I think investigations in general should rely on a single oracular witness, preferably one appointed by the president. Justice is way too inefficient and unreliable.
That thing about how cheerleaders are asked to the prom is conjecture on both counts by Conway. First the cheerleader count, second hand information. Second being asked to the prom, not a chance unless she would do for to the quarterback what she is doing to our country.
Sorry, Kellyanne, “it’s like asking someone to prom” doesn’t have the same ring as “alternative facts.” Weak.