White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Sunday President Donald Trump does know the man he has appointed as his acting attorney general, after all.

"I don't know Matt Whitaker," the president told reporters Friday, the day after naming him to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who resigned at Trump's request. He touted Whitaker's reputation but repeated his claim that he did not know him, explaining to reporters that Whitaker worked for Sessions.

Critics quickly accused Trump of being dishonest about his relationship with Whitaker, who has visited the White House several times. He acted as an intermediary between Trump and Sessions – for whom he was chief of staff – and the president viewed him as "his eyes and ears at the Justice Department," The New York Times reported.

Trump himself said in an interview with Fox News last month, "Matt Whitaker’s a great guy. I know Matt Whitaker."

"The president does know Matt Whitaker, has gotten to know him over the course of the last year since he has been the chief of staff to the attorney general," Conway said in an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday."

"The president's point is, it's not like he's putting a friend in there who he's known for his entire life," she explained.

"The president has dealt with Matt Whitaker in many different situations in the White House. I've been in some of those meetings myself. So I've watched them interact," Conway said.

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Wallace then asked Conway if Trump knew that Whitaker was a vocal critic of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling when he selected him to replace Sessions.

"I'm not aware of that because it's not even clear to me that Mr. Whitaker has been briefed on the Mueller investigation," Conway said. Because he worked for Sessions, who recused himself for the Russia investigation, Whitaker was not up to speed on Mueller's work, she said.

Conway dismissed comments Whitaker made casting doubt on Russian election meddling and suggesting Mueller's funding be cut off as statements he made "as a private citizen a year and a half ago, when the Mueller investigation first started."

Democrats have protested Whitaker's appointment and demanded he recuse himself from matters related to Mueller's investigation because of his expressed opposition to the probe. They fear he will interfere with Mueller's work, or follow through on his idea of killing the investigation by cutting off the money.

"He should recuse himself because he has expressed total hostility to the investigation. He has said the investigation shouldn't go forward and someone who's said that should not be in charge of deciding on the investigation," Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." Nadler is expected to be the next chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Conway said Trump has not talked about the Mueller investigation with Mueller and that "it would be a mistake to try and shut down the Mueller investigation."

Wallace asked Conway about an op-ed in The Washington Post that was co-authored by her husband, George Conway, calling Whitaker's appointment "unconstitutional."

"Well, it doesn't affect me or my job at all. I've never been doing better personally or professionally," Conway said. Her husband's piece just reflected a difference of opinion from Trump and his attorneys, she said.

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