Donald Trump owes his presidency to then-campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, claims White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon.
Bannon believes Conway’s “relentless advocacy” for Trump after the infamous “Access Hollywood” scandal before last November’s general election carried the now-president over the finish line, he said in an interview with The Atlantic.
“If Kellyanne had not been there when the firestorm hit, I don’t know if we would have made it,” Bannon said.
“She literally became a cult figure during that time period, just because of her relentless advocacy for Trump on TV.”
Conway isn’t just relentless, she is tough, too, Bannon added. “She can stand in the breach and take incoming all day long. … That’s something you can’t coach,” he said.
Likewise, pollster Frank Luntz credits Conway for Trump’s win.
“He owes her for standing up for him,” said Luntz of Conway’s advocacy for the presidential candidate after the recording of Trump claiming to grope women because he’s a “star” came out. “I could not have done what she did.”
Luntz added, “I would not have survived it; I’m impressed that she did. … In every possible sense, she won. I do not believe he would be president without her.”