By Joe Lane
Earlier this week, in an unprecedented tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence, Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of the Education Department. DeVos is one of the — if not the — least qualified member of President Trump’s Cabinet, which is saying something, considering a medical doctor with no urban-planning experience is running the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
I believe, however, that DeVos is not the scariest member of the Trump administration. No, that title belongs to Kellyanne Conway.
Conway is a walking paradox. She is a perpetual liar, a defender (and perpetrator) of “Alternative Facts,” has made up fake terrorist attacks, and has aligned herself with one of the most contentious presidents in U.S. history. Despite all of this, she is also one of the strategic masterminds behind an incredible campaign that led to a president who did not win the popular vote. She is also one of a select few women who have earned a place in Trump’s inner circle. It is this dichotomy that makes Conway so scary.
During this election, many people felt that Hillary Clinton was not trustworthy. They felt that Trump was a straight shooter who, even if they didn’t agree with everything he said, said what was really on his mind. This issue is, Trump and his administration have spent the first three weeks of his presidency lying about any number of things.
What makes Conway a particularly dangerous member of the Trump team is her obvious intelligence in her assigned position coupled with a complete comfort lying to protect the administration.
The best example of her lying came recently in the form of the alleged Bowling Green Massacre.
In an interview with Chris Matthews, Conway cited the Bowling Green Massacre as an example of a terrorist attack that was never covered in the news to defend Trump’s travel ban. The only issue with Conway’s comment about the Bowling Green Massacre is that no such event has ever occurred. When Conway was called out on this fact, she said that — according to the Washington Post — she “misspoke one word.”
But the Post also found that she cited the “massacre” in two other interviews with Cosmopolitan and TMZ. It’s hard to misspeak one word three times without intending to use the word you used.
Conway is the individual that coined the phrase “alternative facts,” to the delight of internet pranksters and meme creators. But Conway’s willingness to lie is no joking matter.
Unlike many people in their respective positions in the Trump administration, Conway has both the knowledge to actually deserve her position and the ability to lie to the American public. When combined, she can conceive and spread lies that seem legitimate and work to strategically advance the goals of the Trump administration.
Conway’s brilliance as a liar is in her unwavering loyalty to Trump and impressive knowledge of the political system. Make no mistake, this is less a column condemning Conway’s actions and more a plea for her to use her genius for good.
Conway is the scariest member of Trump’s administration because she is the embodiment of propaganda and her abilities as a liar may be the very thing that leads to the persistence of the Trump administration despite its lies.