Posted on 10/24/2019 4:25:43 PM PDT by Eddie01
Kellyanne Conway, US President Donald Trumps top White House aide and self-described powerful woman, berated and threatened a reporter over the phone following a story by the journalist that characterized Conway as caught in the middle of a feud between her husband and her boss.
On Wednesday, Conways assistant, Tom Joannou, placed a phone call to Caitlin Yilek, a breaking news reporter at the Washington Examiner. The day prior, Yilek had authored a piece about Conway potentially becoming the White Houses next chief of staff in which she mentioned that Trump and Conways husband, George Conway, have engaged in a prolonged public spat.
The conversation was meant to be off the record, but soon Kellyanne herself grabbed the phone and gave Yilek a piece of her mind. While the Examiner writer hadnt been recording the talk with Yilek, she had no such arrangement with Conway and pressed the record button.
"So I just am wondering why in Gods Earth you would need to mention anything about George Conways tweets in an article that talks about me as possibly being chief of staff, the White House aide suddenly said into the phone. Other than it looks to me like theres no original reporting here; you just read Twitter and other peoples stuff, which I guess is why you dont pick up the phone when people call from the White House because, if its not on Twitter or its not on cable TV, its not real."
Attempting to clarify, Yilek said her editors require her to mention relevant context in her stories, and since George Conway and Trump have traded insults for years in the media, she felt it was pertinent information to include. When Kellyanne pressed the issue further, asking if she writes about other peoples spouses in your pieces regularly, Yilek offered to redirect the aide to her editors.
However, Conway was having none of it and told the writer not to rely on the men in her life, or to imply that Conway relies on the men in hers.
"Let me tell you something, from a powerful woman, Conway, 52, told Yilek, who is 29. Dont pull the crap where youre trying to undercut another woman based on who shes married to. He gets his power through me, if you havent noticed. Not the other way around. And if these are the quote standards unquote at the Washington Examiner, then yes, I'd be happy to talk to your editor. But Ive known your editor since before you were born."
The Donald Trump-George Conway feud is nothing to sneeze at, either: George once authored an 11,500-word hit piece on the president in The Atlantic titled Unfit for Office, in which he berated Trumps ability to lead. Hes also called the Trump administration a s**t show in a dumpster fire and suggested the president has narcissistic personality disorder.
For Trumps part, hes called George a whackjob and a stone cold loser & husband from hell.
George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY jealous of his wifes success & angry that I, with her help, didnt give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2019
Whats interesting is that Kellyanne couldnt seem to recall this when Yilek brought it up. When Conway said Yilek lacks the authority to characterize her feelings by mentioning the feud, Yilek told her, "I dont know that that is characterizing your feelings to say youre put in the middle if your husband and your boss are attacking each other, to which Conway could only demur.
However, before the call was over, Conway threatened the journalist with an investigation of her own.
"Listen, if youre going to cover my personal life, then were welcome to do the same around here," she said. "If it has nothing to do with my job - which it doesnt, thats obvious - then were either going to expect you to cover everybodys personal life or were going to start covering them over here."
When the Examiner published an article with a recording and transcript of the call on Thursday, journalists on Twitter rallied to Yileks defense, highlighting the topics relevance and the absurdity of Conways position.
Kellyanne Conway, who is in the world's most fascinating marriage, is trying to stop reporters talking about her husband.
It was also suggested that the transcript would make a great script for a dramatic reading.
The Washington Examiners editor-in-chief, Hugo Gurdon, to whom Yilek offered to connect Conway during the phone call, issued a statement on Thursday about the incident.
Off the record conversations are agreed in good faith and in advance between people known to be participating. They are not, and never have been, a blanket coverage to shield people who pull a bait and switch, peremptorily enter the conversation, and then spend ten minutes abusing, bullying, and threatening a reporter, Gurdon said. Other organizations may agree to be played for saps, but the Washington Examiner wont.
“He gets his power through me, if you havent noticed.”
Beautiful way to backhand her errant hubby and wipe some of the smug off him...
What are the ethics behind publishing this audio recording when it was an off the record conversation?
At the 4:00 minute mark the reporter ask “Would you like to dispute that on the record”. Any reasonable person would conclude that both participants were off the record during the recording.
There was some mocking.
I did not hear any threatening.
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