Let’s talk about the couch
Immigration, national security, economic policy and protecting every American’s personal dignity. These are the issues at stake every day in the Trump presidency and where the nation’s political experts have their attention focused with laser precision.
Just kidding.
They’re freaking out about how White House Counsel Kellyanne Conway sits on a couch.
A virtual avalanche of snarky reporters and jaded partisans crashed down on Conway after a series of photos were revealed showing her kneeling on a couch in the Oval Office with her shoes on. It was later explained that Conway was on the couch because she was taking a photo of leaders from historically black colleges who were in the Oval Office for a photo opportunity with President Trump.
But some took the unusually candid images more seriously, saying it revealed a lack of respect for the presidency, while others thought it was racially insensive for Conway to act in such a casual manner during a meeting with black leaders:
Though some said the real outrage should be focused on how the black leaders were rushed into this unscheduled photo-op with the president without any advanced notice:
For her part, Conway later apologized saying she meant “no disrespect” to either those in attendance or to the Oval Office itself:
And we get it. Conway has said some offensive things and some downright deplorable things, most infamously defending “alternative facts.” But in this case, we have to agree with The Washington Post’s astute political reporter Chris Cilizza, who said the whole “controversy” is “incredibly dumb.”
But that didn’t stop social media from creating some funny versions of the photos, which showed Conway perched on the couch looking at her phone, and a second image of her angling for a shot. One even depicted her taking advantage of the historic summit to capture a particularly elusive Pokemon:
Of course, Republicans took similar shots at President Obama over his fondness for putting his feet up on the presidential desk. And if you want to dial the clock back even further, George W. Bush was also mocked for photos that showed him napping on the same couch. Then again, both Obama and Bush were at least the actual president. One thing is for certain, Kellyanne Conway is going to be a lot more self-conscious, and hopefully thoughtful, the next time she stops to snap a photo in the White House.
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