Kellyanne Conway, the Republican pollster who managed Donald Trump's campaign in its final months, will be appointed counselor to the president, the transition team announced Thursday.
“She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message. I am pleased that she will be part of my senior team in the West Wing," the president-elect said in a statement.
Conway, who graduated magna cum laude from Washington D.C.’s Trinity College, is the founder and owner of a polling and political research company.
She was promoted to the position of Trump's campaign manager in August amid a shakeup that saw the ouster of then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was facing questions about his business dealings in Ukraine. Trump's first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was removed from the post in June.
The Trump campaign's announcement Thursday suggested that the GOP nominee's November victory “shattered the glass ceiling for women” because Conway is the first female campaign manager of either major party to win a presidential general election.
The mother of four young children, Conway had previously indicated that she would not work in the White House because of obligations to her family. "West Wing welcome mat is out, but we need a superstructure like the one Plouffe built. Plus, mom of four is not [in] most job descriptions," she tweeted in December, referencing the massive Democratic organizing initiative masterminded by Obama aide David Plouffe.
On Morning Joe Thursday morning, Conway said she's confident that Trump's White House will be "family-friendly."
"Essentially, my major concern is and will always be my four children, but I'm very convinced this is family-friendly West Wing and White House," she said. "I've seen Donald Trump up close and personal with his own children and his grandchildren, and certainly his 10-year-old son and his wife. And I know that he is very pro-family."
Conway has been a steady presence in Trump's orbit since the election. Her seemingly constant appearances on television have been lampooned by "Saturday Night Live," with comedienne Kate McKinnon portraying her as a frazzled spin doctor ruefully forced into defending Trump's increasingly ludicrous statements.
On Thursday, Conway said a Trump presidency "will bring real change to Washington and to Americans across this great nation."
"I am humbled and honored to play a role in helping transform the movement he has led into a real agenda of action and results."
