Who Is Kellyanne Conway? Trump Aide Turns Down White House Press Secretary Post

Kellyanne Conway, former campaign manager for President-elect Donald Trump, said Monday she “politely declined” an offer to be Trump’s White House press secretary, noting that communication would be an important aspect of the Trump administration given the “hostile” press.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Conway reportedly said: “As you imagine in President Trump’s administration, communications will be a very important aspect for it and there will be a number of people handling that.”

“…I think the skeptical and hostile press will continue, frankly like they have in these last five weeks since he got elected. I think many of them are election deniers, still fighting the last war still thinking we are in the permanent campaign,” she added.

Conway, who was named Trump’s campaign manager on Aug. 17, is the first woman to run a successful U.S. presidential campaign. The 49-year-old has been advising Republicans for nearly three decades on how to appeal to women voters.

Here are 10 facts on Conway:

1. The 49-year-old was brought up in southern New Jersey by a single mom, two aunts and her grandmother.

2. She graduated magna cum laude from Trinity College in Washington D.C. and later studied at Oxford University where she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa, a celebrated honors society. She earned her law degree with honors from George Washington University Law Center.

3. She is the founder and president of the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, a privately-held, woman-owned, primary research and consulting firm.

4. In addition to Trump, she has worked with Richard Wirthlin; Congressmen Marsha Blackburn, Lee Zeldin, Steve King; Vice President Dan Quayle; Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; Sens. Fred Thompson and Ted Cruz, and Gov. Mike Pence.

5. Conway has also co-written a book with Democratic pollster Celinda Lake titled “WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live.”

6. She has been described by Lake as someone who is “a real expert on women voters.”

7. After Trump’s election victory, Conway said former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s supporters sent her death threats.

She reportedly said: “Anytime I respond, anytime I defend myself against these... allegations [regarding the Trump campaign providing a platform for white supremacists] that are now leading to death threats... I’m seen as ungracious. Why are we sore winners? I’m not a sore winner. I'm a winner. My guy is a winner. He's the next president of the United States.”

8. Conway is married to George T. Conway III, a lawyer, and the couple has four children together.

9. She met Trump in 2006 when she was part of the condominium board at Trump World Tower in Manhattan, the Washington Post reported. The two met again in March 2015 to discuss his presidential bid. However, Conway declined an offer to be his campaign manager choosing to work with Ted Cruz instead.

10. The 49-year-old former lawyer doesn’t approve of Trump’s name-calling. She added that she would like for Trump to stop criticizing people based on their looks and mental capacities.