Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway refused to say Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's, D-N.Y., name during an interview Tuesday, but did not hesitate to say what she thinks of her after she accused outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly on Monday of "cowardice."
"He is in his fifth decade of public service, and this country owes him a debt of gratitude, not the nonsense that's been spewed about him, even recently from the left and from this 29-year-old congresswoman who doesn't seem to know much about anything when you ask her basic concepts about the economy, the Middle East, military funding — really embarrassing," Conway told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
Conway went on to defend the retired general as someone who has done a "magnificent job for this country for almost 50 years and that includes here at the White House as our chief of staff for about a year and a half."
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., called on Kelly on Monday to apologize to Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., after he accused her in 2017 of grandstanding at an event in Florida for taking credit for securing federal funding for a new building.
Ocasio-Cortez, responding to Lee, said Kelly's refusal to apologize was not a "sign of strength — it's cowardice."
Conway popped in with her defense, unprompted, after being asked what is needed in a new chief of staff.
"I think Gen. Kelly has done a great job making sure that different meetings were staffed, making sure that the staff knew what was happening at all times," Conway said. "The chief part is important but the staff part is important as well. He needs somebody who he trusts and [who is] loyal to the country."