White House aide Kellyanne Conway was the reason President Donald Trump's campaign stayed afloat following the "Access Hollywood" scandal, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told The Atlantic.
"If Kellyanne had not been there when the firestorm hit, I don't know if we would have made it," Bannon, the White House's chief strategist, said.
"She literally became a cult figure during that time period, just because of her relentless advocacy for Trump on TV."
Conway, best known for being a GOP pollster before Trump asked her to join his team as campaign manager, is constantly making TV appearances discussing policies and defending the White House. She supported Trump after the tape was released in October, just one month before the election. In the recording, Trump made lewd comments about women and said he groped them without their consent.
Conway said his comments were "indefensible" but also said she believed Trump when he told her none of his claims were true, and his recorded conversation was just locker room banter.
"I believe – Donald Trump has told me and his family, and the rest of America now – that none of this is true," she said in late October. "These are lies and fabrications. They're all made up. And I think that it's not for me to judge what those women believe. I've not talked to them, I've talked to him."
Bannon said Conway is also tough.
"She can stand in the breach and take incoming all day long. . . . That's something you can't coach," he said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.