CNN to Spicer: We are concerned about Conway's credibility

CNN quickly rebuked White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday for suggesting that the network did not have concerns about adviser Kellyanne Conway’s credibility.

Spicer, taking questions from reporters at Tuesday’s daily briefing, was responding to a report that CNN had declined an offer to interview Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump and his most prominent on-air surrogate, last weekend because of concerns about her credibility.


“My understanding is they retracted that, they’ve walked that back or denied it, however you want to put it, I don’t care,” Spicer said at about 2 p.m. “But I think Kellyanne is a very trusted aide of the president and I think ... any characterization otherwise is insulting.”

“If they choose not to work with someone that's up to them, but I think we're going to continue to put out key leaders in this administration, including Kellyanne, that can articulate the president's policies and agenda,” he added.

About 10 minutes later, CNN’s communications arm released a statement saying that Spicer was wrong.

“CNN was clear, on the record, about our concerns about Kellyanne Conway’s credibility to the New York Times and others. We have not ‘retracted’ or ‘walked back’ those comments,” the statement said. “Those are the facts.”

Since she joined Trump’s campaign last summer, Conway has become an almost ubiquitous presence on cable television programs. In recent days, though, she has faced criticism for statements she’s made on air, notably her use of the term "alternative facts" to defend the administration's inaccurate claims about the crowd size at the inauguration.

She also apologized for citing a fake terrorist attack to justify Trump’s controversial executive order on immigration in an interview with MSNBC.