Kellyanne Conway is fine with Donald Trump's moonlighting as "Apprentice" executive producer: "Work is his work and work is his hobby"

"He’s a very transparent guy. Everyone can see what he’s doing," Conway told CNN.

Published December 9, 2016 5:07PM (EST)

Donald Trump   (Getty/Rob Kim)
Donald Trump (Getty/Rob Kim)

Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway went on CNN Friday morning to defend Trump's choice to stay on as executive producer of "Celebrity Apprentice" saying it would be fine if it's one of his "approved activities."

Of course, as president, Trump's primary responsibility will be running the country — and he said a few times on Twitter that President Obama was neglecting his primary job.

"Were we concerned by the hours and hours and hours spent on the golf course by the current president?" Conway said.

Conway pointed out that Trump was meeting with "experts" about what he can do outside the Oval Office.

Conway told CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota it was "doubtful" that Trump would profit from the show in the form of a salary or royalties based on Trump's decision to deny the salary for the president.

"He’s a very transparent guy. Everyone can see what he’s doing," she added about Trump. The president-elect has still not released his tax returns.

Trump hosted his reality show on NBC for 14 seasons — it will now be hosted by another celebrity turned politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In June, NBC said it was going to end its "business relationship" with Trump, citing "the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants." Trump never apologized for those statements.

"Work is his work and work is his hobby," Conway told Camerota. "It's a mystery to all of us when he even sleeps. I'm sure he's watching us right now."

"The point is the same. Whether you're President Obama or President Donald Trump, the idea that these men are going to be all work and nothing else, all the time, it's just unrealistic," Conway said.

Conway's statement contradicts what Trump himself told the country in a "60 Minutes" interview on the Sunday after the election.

"We have so much work. There’s so much work to be done. And I want to get it done for the people. I want to get it done. We’re lowering taxes, we’re taking care of health care. I mean, there’s just so much to be done," Trump told Lesley Stahl. "So I don’t think we’ll be very big on vacations, no."


By Grace Guarnieri

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2016 Donald Trump Alisyn Camerota Celebrity Apprentice Cnn New Day Kellyanne Conway