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Kellyanne Conway: Trump Doesn’t Really Want to Jail Hillary Clinton

“That was a quip.”

It was one of Donald Trump’s biggest lines at Sunday night’s second presidential debate in St. Louis. But now his campaign manager says he didn’t even mean it. During one of several television sit-downs Sunday night and Monday morning after she canceled a planned appearance on Fox News Sunday, Kellyanne Conway told Morning Joe that Trump does not really want to put Hillary Clinton “in jail” if he becomes president. “That was a quip,” she said. As for the special prosecutor Trump said he would appoint, Conway said he was just “channeling the frustration he hears from thousands of voters out on the stump.” As Conway further clarified, “Whether she goes to jail is not up to Donald Trump.” During the debate, when Clinton said “It’s just awfully good that somebody with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country,” Trump shot back, “Because you’d be in jail.”

Conway also denined Monday any rumors that she or Trump’s running mate Mike Pence might be quitting the campaign. But asked by Chris Matthews on Sunday night if she is with the campaign until the “bitter end,” even after the leaked tape in which Trump boasted of sexually assaulting women sent prominent Republicans running, Conway replied, “I’m with the campaign ’til the bitter end. Unless…” She then paused before muttering, “Who knows?” and then confirming that she has made a “commitment” to remain Trump’s campaign manager.

— Matt Wilstein

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Matt WilsteinSenior Editor

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