President-elect Donald Trump is able to appoint his own staff inside the West Wing, and should he choose any of his sons or daughters to work for him, that will not fall under federal anti-nepotism laws, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Thursday.
"The anti-nepotism law has an exception, if you want to work in the West Wing, because the president is able to appoint his own staff," Conway told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "Of course this came about to stop maybe family members serving on the Cabinet. But the president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking. And so, if that is true and that legal advice holds, that will open up a realm of responsibilities."
Meanwhile, when it comes to Trump's three oldest offspring, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner, "you're talking about men and women who are incredibly talented, and very smart, and very involved in their father's business."
Most sitting presidents in recent history have brought minor age children to the White House. Trump's younger daughter recently graduated from college and plans to attend law school, leaving just one of Trump's children, 10-year-old Barron as the only minor-age child.
Trump's three oldest have been very active in both his campaign and the transition process, but nobody has made any final decisions on their future role in their father's presidency.
When they decide, though, "everyone will know that," Conway said. "That's a personal decision only they will make and announce."
Meanwhile, there is the matter of Trump's business holdings. The president-elect has said he will turn over their management to Donald Jr. and Eric while he steps away, and "they have assured everyone that they will be complete distinction and separation," Conway said.
If they choose to work for their father, the adult Trump children will "have to separate themselves completely from these vast business holdings," she continued. "These men and women are at the top of their earning game, and the sacrifice they will make to go in and serve, if that's what they choose, is really unprecedented and extraordinary."
Ivanka Trump, she continued, is "committed to women in the workplace, and she's in a position where she can leverage that and make a difference for women in the economy."
The Trump camp has come under criticism after he met with several tech company leaders Wednesday, as Ivanka, Eric, and Don were in attendance, and Conway said the concerns are "over the top."
"The meeting was so transparent . . . there was nothing secretive about it," she said. "These are adults who have a great deal to offer to the conversation."
Meanwhile, reports have claimed for one of those spots, secretary of State, Mitt Romney was rejected for Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson because he refused to apologize for his election-time comments on Trump.
Conway said that is simply not true.
"I've never been in any conversation, any meeting where somebody said that was a condition of him being secretary of State," she said. "If that were true, then perhaps he wouldn't have been invited in the first place. He was invited because the president-elect wanted to interview him for the position of secretary of State."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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