On Monday, Trump welcomed leaders of historically black colleges and universities into the Oval Office and signed an executive order promoting the Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to the White House's executive office. However, this positive step forward isn't what caught some Twitter users' eyes. Instead, a photo of Kellyanne Conway on the Oval Office couch became the counselor to the president's latest offense. The day following the meeting, Conway gave Fox Business Network's Lou Dobbs her two cents on the matter.
She explained the scenario in her own words, claiming she was simply taking a picture from a certain angle.
...I was being asked to take a picture in a crowded room with the press behind us, and I was asked to take a certain angle and was doing exactly that. I certainly meant no disrespect. I didn't mean to have my feet on the couch.
As you've heard before, a picture can speak a thousand words. And while that's certainly true, sometimes a photo shows a single moment that can't possibly be representative of the bigger picture. This was probably the case with Conway's photo, which was harshly criticized as being rude and disrespectful. It doesn't help that some Twitter users denounced Conway for sitting on her knees while wearing a dress — a piece of criticism that you can acknowledge is sexist whether you're a Republican or Democrat.
If Conway was, however, sitting on the couch being distracted by her phone in the presence of these amazing leaders, that would be a problem. Needless to say, she says this was not the case and she's not pleased with the reaction to the photo.
It is venomous, it is vicious, it bothers my children to be frank with you. I have 24/7 Secret Service protection because people do wish us harm and people should take that very seriously. I'm not a victim at all but people should take very seriously the import of their words when I meant no disrespect.
And for once, I must admit, I have to agree with Conway here. That being said, perhaps she should take her own advice and also think before she starts talking about things that never happened.
A much more crucial, worthwhile question from Monday's Oval Office meeting is how Trump plans to follow through on his plans to bolster historically black colleges and universities in the future.
