PASSING THE BUCK

Kellyanne Conway Blames Voters for Bleak GOP Midterm Outlook

The Republican pollster visibly struggled with a question about Iran.

Kellyanne Conway tied herself in knots on Fox News Sunday as she tried to explain away the unpopularity of President Trump’s war, blaming impatient voters accustomed to getting results as quickly as a DoorDash delivery or Uber ride.

Conway, a former adviser to Trump, 80, was asked by Fox & Friends host Rachel Campos-Duffy—wife of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—about the difficulties facing the GOP heading into the midterms, with the Iran war dragging down support for the president and the party.

“Well, nobody likes war, first of all,” Conway began before embarking on a winding defense of the president.

“The president is doing what he’s doing in the Middle East to help people in the Midwest, longer term. This president takes the long view on everything, and he has said he—uh—I’ll say he can’t put war on an egg timer,” she continued.

“We’ve been there for six months, everybody would like it wrapped up—it needs to be wrapped up successfully and completely for us to feel that the next president of the United States, Commander-in-Chief, doesn’t face a nuclear capable Iran.”

There was just one problem with Conway’s pitch: Trump has reportedly privately said he would walk away from the war without a deal on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Undeterred, Conway suggested Republicans running for Congress should shoulder some of the burden of selling Trump’s deeply unpopular war to voters.

“I also think it needs to be explained by those that are running for office down ballot,” she said.

She went on to encourage Republicans to play up “energy independence” and Trump’s signature legislation, the “Big Beautiful Bill” before returning to the issue of the president’s dismal polling.

“President Trump’s numbers were always higher than his polls reflected and continue to be,” she said before grasping onto Fox’s current favorite boogeyman: the Democratic Socialists of America.

“The DSA is supposed to win by 20 points,” she claimed. “We’re confusing vibes with votes and we’re confusing energy and enthusiasm with actual turnout.”

Conway then suggested it was Americans who simply expect results too quickly who are responsible for Trump’s political problems.

“Whether it’s the midterms and the Iran war, or it’s data centers, we’re in a ‘Door Dash-Uber give-me-benefits-now’ mentality, and that’s tricky,” she concluded.

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Sarah-Jane CollinsReporter

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