Trump Won’t Fire Kellyanne Conway, Disagrees “Entirely” With Fed Chair Powell

President Trump said on Friday that he wouldn’t fire senior aide Kellyanne Conway after a watchdog found she violated a federal law prohibiting political speech in her official capacity.

“No, I’m not going to fire her. I think she’s a terrific person,” Trump told Fox News, adding “I got briefed on it yesterday and it looks to me like they’re trying to take away their right of free speech. And that’s just not fair.”

“She’s got to have the right of responding to questions.”

On Thursday, Special Counsel Henry Kerner (no relation to Mueller’s office) said in a letter that his office had never before found such repeated violations by former presidential aides, and recommended that Trump fire Conway, who erred by “disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.”

Inside the ‘digital lockdown’ for US officials as Trump arrives in China

Move to oust Nancy Guthrie sheriff fails as Pima County supervisors refer perjury allegations to AG

Marco Rubio spotted in Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One during trip to China, igniting memes online

Rubio wears Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One in parody of Maduro capture

High school student with history of anger issues charged with murder of homeless woman in Las Vegas

Nebraska’s Pillen wins Republican renomination in bid for second term as governor

Lawsuit: ChatGPT Told Florida State Shooter that Killing Children Would Get Him ‘More Attention’ Than Targeting Adults

House GOP launches new task force, probes alleged Medicaid fraud in Ohio

Republican Ricketts wins GOP primary in Nebraska, advances to key Senate showdown

Poll: Rubio Opens Up Double-Digit Lead on Vance, AOC Leads 2028 Democratic Field

Big city Democrat mayor arrested at ICE protest faces voters in re-election bid

BREAKING: All Tenn. Dem Reps Have Been Removed from Every House Committee Possible as Punishment for Redistricting Chaos

Fake Black Woman Rachel Dolezal Resurfaces After Decade, Has Entered Digital Version of World’s Oldest Profession

Trump expected to name ICE veteran with private detention ties as agency’s acting director

Gay Couple Who Acquired 5 Boys Arrested on Child Sex Charges

“Ms. Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law,” reads the letter.

“If Ms. Conway were any other federal employee, her multiple violations of the law would almost certainly result in her removal from her federal position,” Kerner added. “Never has (the office) had to issue multiple reports to the President concerning Hatch Act violations by the same individual.”

“given that Ms. Conway is a repeat offender and has shown disregard for the law, (the office) recommends that she be removed from federal service,” reads a separate statement from the Office of the Special Counsel alongside the report.

As CNN notes, White House counsel Pat Cipollone pushed back against the report, writing that the special counsel’s office did not give the White House or Conway time to respond to the report, and that her social media statements and media interviews did not constitute violations of the Hatch Act.