Trump’aide Conway sidelined after contradicting his administration’s official stance

The White House is barring counselor Kellyanne Conway from television appearances after the high-profile aide made multiple on-air statements contradicting the Trump administration’s official stance, CNN reported Wednesday.

Conway, who was recently a regular fixture on TV news, hasn’t appeared for an on-air interview since early last week. That Monday, she argued that then-national security adviser Michael Flynn had the “full confidence” of President Trump.

Flynn resigned from his post later that day amid revelations that he misled Vice President Pence about the nature of his conversations with the Russian ambassador.

And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Trump asked for Flynn’s resignation. That directly contradicted Conway’s claim on NBC’s “Today” earlier that morning that Flynn had offered to step down.

Conway was “off message,” a White House source told CNN.

Since then, Conway has sat for interviews on radio shows, but has been uncharacteristically absent from the television news circuit.

The senior Trump aide’s remarks about Flynn were not her first times causing trouble for the White House on air. Conway has been roiled with controversy in recent weeks. Once, after discussing a nonexistent terrorist attack in Bowling Green, Ky., and again after openly promoting Ivanka Trump’s clothing line on “Fox & Friends.”

One source close to the White House told CNN that the Trump administration has seen fewer controversies in Conway’s absence.

“Clearly they’re having much more of a drama-free week,” CNN quoted the source as saying. “Having Kellyanne off television is helping them.”

Deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, however, denied claims that Conway had been sidelined from television, calling the accusations “another wild goose chase.”

“Kellyanne has a number of media appearances this week and also has a large portfolio at the WH and is spending significant time focusing on it,” she told CNN.

Nevertheless, Conway’s television absence is likely temporary.

“They’re letting the heat cool off,” one source was quoted as saying.

THE HILL