In a fiery exchange on Fox News, former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway offered unsolicited personal advice to comedian and outspoken Trump critic Rosie O'Donnell, telling her to find a husband.
A Panel Show Clash Over Trump Criticism
The incident unfolded on Tuesday's edition of The Five. The panel was discussing a TikTok video posted by O'Donnell on Saturday, in which she demanded that Donald Trump be removed from office and referred to the former president as 'a blob'.
Conway, a 58-year-old pollster and former senior counsellor to President Trump, responded directly to O'Donnell's critique. 'Don’t you have anybody who loves you?' Conway questioned. She continued, 'You need a hug or a husband or a hairy dog. Get yourself some help.'
Conway also retorted to the 'blob' comment by stating, 'A slob calling someone else a blob.' She suggested O'Donnell, who moved to Ireland earlier this year, had failed to move on from her opposition to Trump, labelling the condition 'Trump Derangement Syndrome'.
Personal Histories and Political Ironies
The remark about living with 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' carried a personal weight for Conway. Both her ex-husband, lawyer George Conway, and her influencer daughter, Claudia Conway, have been publicly critical of Donald Trump. Conway and George divorced in 2023 after two decades of marriage.
In a notable parallel, Claudia Conway, like Rosie O'Donnell, is an outspoken lesbian. Kellyanne Conway has stated she is fully supportive of her daughter's sexuality. Claudia came out as gay on TikTok in 2022, praising her mother's acceptance.
Rosie O'Donnell, 63, came out publicly in 2002 and is a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She was married to Kelli Carpenter in 2004 and later to Michelle Rounds in 2012, splitting from Rounds in February 2015. She is currently single and lives in Ireland with her daughter Dakota.
From Critic to Counsellor: Conway's Political Journey
The exchange highlighted the political evolution of Kellyanne Conway. Before joining Trump's campaign, she was a strategist for a pro-Ted Cruz PAC in 2015, which criticised Trump's views as 'extreme' and 'not conservative'. In 2016, she herself said Trump was 'a man who seems to be offending his way to the nomination.'
She joined Trump's campaign as a senior advisor after Cruz ended his bid and served as a counsellor to the president for nearly four years. She left the White House and became a Fox News contributor in 2022.
Meanwhile, George Conway, her ex-husband, recently launched a run for the US House of Representatives in New York as a Democrat.
The on-air advice to 'find a husband,' directed at a prominent lesbian figure, has sparked debate, framing a political disagreement within a deeply personal and contentious context that continues to define much of America's political discourse.
