Kellyanne Conway's criticism of President-elect Donald Trump's consideration to select Mitt Romney as secretary of state shows that she is no longer among his top advisers and will almost assuredly not have a formal role in his administration, several sources connected to the transition team told Politico.
Because she has been left out of deliberations over Cabinet appointments and other important decisions, Conway feels less constrained to express her disagreement publicly, the sources said.
Conway told CNN that Trump's loyal supporters feel "betrayed" that he is considering Romney, stressing "it's just breathtaking in scope and intensity the type of messages I've received" voicing their disapproval of this possibility.
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday reported that Trump is "furious" with Conway for the public criticism and pushing her own agenda.
However, in a statement that appears to contradict that analysis, Trump said, "Kellyanne came to me and asked whether or not she could go public with her thoughts on the matter. I encouraged her to do so. Most importantly, she fully acknowledged there is only one person that makes the decision. She has always been a tremendous asset and that will continue."
The New York Times reported that Conway's behavior was actually in the style Trump likes by "encouraging a public airing of conflicting views when he is unsure of what path to take."
The newspaper also said that although Conway will apparently not have a job in the White House, this is not a sign of a falling out, and she is likely to serve as an outside adviser with guaranteed access to the president.
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