Jim Rosica
Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump‘s campaign manager, appeared to leave the door open as to whether the president-elect would make good on his promise to name a special prosecutor to investigate Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Conway appeared Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program.
Early Wednesday, Trump — the real estate tycoon-turned-reality TV star — captured 276 electoral college votes, more than the 270 needed to win the White House.
“We did not discuss (a special prosecutor) last night since his victory, and he certainly didn’t address it with Mrs. Clinton on the phone,” Conway told co-host Willie Geist, according to a transcript. “I would need to discuss that with him.”
Trump had hammered Clinton in the Oct. 9 presidential debate on her use of a private email server to send and receive thousands of emails during her tenure as secretary of state, including classified information, and then allegedly deleting thousands more.
“If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation, because there has never been so many lies, so much deception,” he said during the debate. “There has never been anything like it, and we’re going to have a special prosecutor.”
On Sunday, FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers Sunday his agency hadn’t changed its view that Clinton did not break federal law in her handling of classified information.
“I think you heard his own words last night … to the extent that one man can as president, certainly Vice President (Mike) Pence who’s phenomenal, they’re looking to unify the country,” Conway said. “But we haven’t discussed that in recent days.”
She quickly added: “And I think that it’s all in good time.”
Early in the morning, she explained, “my phone rang and I handed it to Mr. Trump and he had a very gracious, very warm conversation with Secretary Clinton, it lasted about a minute. And they commended each other for a hard-fought campaign.
“I heard his end of it where he told her she’s tough and smart, things that he has said many times before,” Conway added. “And I know she congratulated him on his victory.
“He took the stage; he gave his speech … and then later on in the wee hours of the night he and President Obama had a conversation,” she said. “Mr. Trump looks forward to getting down to Washington and meeting with President Obama who we know will continue to be a leader as the nation comes together.”
The two men are scheduled to have their first transition meeting Thursday.
Conway, however, kept pressing the campaign narrative, saying Trump “proved that even amidst a corrupt and rigged system where people are forgotten and don’t feel like they can get a fair shot, they somehow can rise up on Election Day and express their voice. And that’s really the best way to beat the establishment, best way to beat the elite.”
