Why Kellyanne Conway Blames Her Ex-Husband George For Their Split

As President Trump's senior counselor, Kellyanne Conway had the opportunity to tune her deflection and culpability skills. Both have benefited Kellyanne when apportioning blame for her divorce from her husband, George Conway. The couple, who had been together for over two decades, announced in March 2023 that they were "in the final stages of an amicable divorce" in a statement obtained by CNN.

Kellyanne left the White House in 2020. Still, she packed a real punch during her three years in office. Trevor Noah claimed Kellyanne was the "one dragon" the Trump administration "couldn't slay." He poked fun at her insistence on "fake news" and "alternative facts." Meanwhile, "The Daily Show" correspondent Michelle Wolf praised Kellyanne's skill for "getting out of anything by shifting blame to anyone else." Wolf claimed that once you "stopped hating" on Kellyanne, then "you can appreciate the artistry" in her deflection tactics.

And it turns out that Kellyanne's failed marriage is an exemplary case of her skill at playing the blame game. Much of their marital friction resulted from their diverse public views on Trump. Kellyanne fangirled over her boss while George was vocal in his disdain. He actually introduced his wife to Trump, something he lived to regret. "Knowing what I know now, I would have said no and never mentioned it when I got home," George told the Washington Post in August 2018. Still, they welcomed four kids together and appeared to agree to disagree on political discourse for the main part. Although, Kellyanne tells a different story.

The writing was on the wall for Kellyanne and George Conway's marriage as soon as the Donald Trump battlelines were drawn. Kellyanne was and still is a fervent supporter of her ex-boss and former president. George? Not so much. He rarely misses an opportunity to slam Trump. His relentless criticism has resulted in some decidedly awkward moments for the couple.

In her 2022 memoir, "Here's the Deal," Kellyanne accused George of doing the dirty on her by attacking Trump on social media. "Clearly he was cheating by tweeting," she wrote. "I was having a hard time competing with his [new obsession]." Kellyanne said that she had begged George to cease his "daily deluge of insults-by tweet against my boss" but to no avail.

She expanded further on the Trumpian elephant in the room during an interview with CNN. "I just did not want to be stuck in a cable news segment in the master bedroom hearing about Trump, Trump, Trump," Kellyanne said. "All I really wanted was my husband and the father of my children as I always had him," she continued. Kellyanne claimed that George didn't warn her before launching his assaults on Trump. Although she conceded it's a free country and that he's allowed to express his views, she still felt let down by his lack of support. "His vows to me, I feel, were broken because we were all in," she explained.

Kellyanne Conway remains a fervent Trump defender. "I'm very proud of what Donald Trump and Mike Pence accomplished together for this country over four years, and that will not be washed away by anything," she told CNN in response to questions about Trump's role in the January 6 insurrection. George Conway had a very different take, though. "Now, people will say, you know, in a just world, he would go to jail for what he did on January 6 [2021] and the weeks approaching January 6, and I kind of agree with that," he told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

It's not the first time Trump disagreements have ended a romance, and it won't be the last. A Wakefield Research study, "Trump Effect on American Relationships," found that 29% of US citizens blamed the current political climate for causing tension with their partner. In addition, 22% of respondents admitted to knowing a couple whose relationship was severely damaged following Trump's 2016 election win.

Meanwhile, Trump shared his condolences over the end of Kellyanne's marriage in his characteristically caring and compassionate manner. "Congratulations to Kellyanne Conway on her DIVORCE from her wacko husband, Mr. Kellyanne Conway," he wrote on Truth Social. "Free at last, she has finally gotten rid of the disgusting albatross around her neck. She is a great person and will now be free to lead the kind of life she deserves ... and it will be a great life without the extremely unattractive loser by her side!"