Kellyanne Conway giving an interview

Kellyanne Conway was credited with quelling the chaos of Trump’s first presidential bid. But now, Trump campaign officials are reportedly viewing the longtime GOP pollster with suspicious eyes. 👀

Without an official role in Trump’s third campaign, Conway now finds herself on the outside looking in. Though she insists she’s still close with the criminally convicted ex-president, it’s apparent that Trump has moved on. He’s relying on a different coterie of political advisors, namely Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, and Tony Fabrizio.

In interviews with The Bulwark, more than a dozen people close to Trump’s campaign say Conway was strongly opposed to JD Vance’s selection as VP, and is trying to sabotage the off-putting Ohio senator. They believe she’s undermining him with doubts about his readiness and the campaign’s overall vetting process.

When asked about the matter, Conway didn’t deny she’s been part of discussions regarding Vance. But she says the criticism is coming from others. Riiiiight.

“When it comes to concerned people questioning the vetting or selection of JD Vance, the calls are coming in, not going out,” she said. “I’m not calling them and saying this is bad. People are asking me. They’re not just asking me. They’re asking lots of people.”

Like many Establishment Republicans, Conway was opposed to Vance’s selection. She preferred Marco Rubio or North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, a Rupert Murdoch favorite.

“I’m not anti-Vance,” she told The Bulwark. “I was pro-Rubio.”

When Trump first hired Conway in July 2016, his presidential campaign was a disorganized mess. She helped him reorient his message towards conservatives, and successfully pushed for Mike Pence to be selected as VP. In the end, her strategies worked! In fact, she emerged as one of Trump’s most trusted advisors, along with daughter Ivanka and Hope Hicks.

But despite Conway’s history with Trump, she’s no longer part of his immediate circle. Many of the women who played an integral role in his only successful campaign aren’t either. Ivanka is busy living her Socialite Barbie life, while Hicks tearfully testified against her ex-boss in his hush money trial.

To fill the void, Trump is increasingly relying on his two sycophantic daughters-in-law, Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle.

It’s been reported that Donald Trump Jr. was one of Vance’s biggest backers, along with fired Fox News talker Tucker Carlson. Trump’s eldest son is reportedly apocalyptic over Conway’s rumored sabotage of his handpicked man.

“He’s pissed off about it,” one of his confidants told The Bulwark. “He knows it’s her.”

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Vance, however, is ruining himself without anybody’s help. The Hillbilly Elegy author has an inglorious history of making weird and creepy remarks about women. Perhaps most regrettably, he derided Kamala Harris as a “childless cat lady.”

More recently, Vance has declared he’s at war with “female millennial writers” and “sad, lonely, pathetic” people who focus on their careers instead of raising children. He’s also called childless adults “sociopathic” and “deranged” among other insults.

The VP wannabe’s previous statements are so unusual, it’s difficult to separate fact from conjecture. That’s how we got the outrageous viral story about him trying to engage in intercourse with a couch. Apparently unaware of the “Streisand Effect,” Vance made a couch reference himself at a recent rally. This guy is… not a pro!

“I would call my wife up here to speak but then I think I’d have to sleep on the couch,” he said to tepid laughter.

Lacking a sound message, Trump and Vance, along with many Republicans, have resorted to attacking Harris’ race, ethnicity, and gender. This week, Trump accused her of changing her race for political expediency.

During a combative interview at the annual National Association of Black Journalists convention, the 78-year-old alleged that Harris had “all of a sudden” decided to “become a Black person.”

All indications show the nasty barbs aren’t working. Harris has already raised more than $310 million, despite only entering the race July 21. She’s also tightened the race against Trump in several swing states, and is leading nationally in some polls… including the right-leaning Rasmussen.

Though it’s unclear how much VPs actually help campaigns (Trump dismissed their importance at the NABJ convention), it’s clear that Vance isn’t helping. His very online and misogynistic persona doesn’t seem to be connecting with mainstream voters.

Conway saw the trouble coming. She reportedly told allies that Trump would pick Vance “over her dead body” and when he did, she “lamented” the selection during a gathering at the RNC in Milwaukee.

One of those voters repulsed by Vance is Conway’s own daughter, Claudia, who identifies as queer. A frequent Trump critic, the 19-year-old said this week the almost-80-year-old candidate is driving people away from the GOP.

“Trump is a fake Republican,” she posted. “Actually, to put it best, he has completely destroyed and reframed the ideals of the Republican party. That’s why we are seeing Republican after Republican endorsing our soon-to-be first woman President.”

While Claudia and Kellyanne have long been at political odds, maybe they can reconcile over their shared animus of Vance. Pushed away from Trump’s orbit, Kellyanne needs somewhere to go.

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