Kellyanne Conway: Media 'Rush to Judgment' Led to NBC Cohen Correction

Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway Friday decried the media's "rush to judgment" that led to NBC's correction on a story claiming that federal officials had wiretapped the phones of President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

"NBC News had a corrected bombshell of a story, that ended up being a bomb, that there were wiretaps," Conway told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "Not so much. [They were] pen registers; no listening the audio but just taking numbers."

On Thursday, NBC announced that federal investigators had kept logs of Cohen's phone lines, in a correction of a story saying the lines had been wiretapped, which would have allowed investigators to listen to the calls.

Conway noted that ABC News tweeted that they had confirmed the wiretap story, but later deleted that and replaced the story with a tweet.

By posting quick stories, the media is engaging in a "rush to judgment" because of its constant negativity, and that means the president's agenda is not being covered.

"Look at the media polls and what Americans are telling media pollsters is important versus what the media actually covers," said Conway.

Instead, she urged a look at what is happening in North Korea, where "we are on the verge of a summit" between Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

"We're on the verge of verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, potentially," said Conway. "Big News."

She also claimed that the media does not realize how "easily baited" it is.

"Someone will put something on Twitter and then they presume what it is supposed to say and what it doesn't," Conway said. "You are here to report and not react."

She also discounted complaints that Trump has not been holding press conferences, pointing out that he often speaks out on the south lawn of the White House, or answers off-topic questions during bilateral appearances with the heads of of state.

"The presumptive negativity has really been a staple of the way this president has been covered since day one," said Conway, complaining that there was little coverage of the National Day of Prayer observance in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.

"You had sixth faith leaders representing very different faiths yesterday offering prayer," said Conway. "You had much of the cabinet there, the vice president, but very little coverage of it."

Conway also defended Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in the wake of attacks during last weekend's White House Press Correspondents' annual roast.

"Sarah goes to that podium every day that she breathes, and she is trying to provide information the best she possesses it and the best she knows it at that moment," said Conway. "Things here move so fast that volume and velocity looms and the press corps will tell you that people who have worked in coms and press will tell you they have never seen anything like it."

Conway also discussed an item in Politico's Playbook that reported she is taking on an "expanded role" in the White House.

According to the report, Conway had announced at an off-campus retreat for the communications department that she is playing a bigger role in the operation.

The role of communications director, which has been vacant since the retirement of Hope Hicks.

"I'm very happy to help in that regard," said Conway, while claiming she was not familiar with the report. She did, however, note the hard work of the White House's communications department.

"I'm happy to be here," said Conway. "I'm here to serve the president's agenda as counselor to the president. That takes on many different aspects."

She added that there are "dozens of men and women, who work incredibly hard, who are not household names," working with communications. "They are here every day, working hard to advance the president's agenda."

Trump does prefer to go "directly to the people" through Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms, meaning the administration doesn't need the structure in the department other White Houses have had, said Conway.

"Our digital team and social media team, he is like a one-arm paper hanger," said Conway. "That's what he does. They are elevated in this White House because that's the way we are communicating with America."