White House counselor Kellyanne Conway explains the moment Huma Abiden called her on Election Night so Hillary Clinton could concede. (Image source: ABC News)
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Kellyanne Conway recounts 'remarkable' moment Clinton called to concede to Trump on Election Night
March 18, 2017
According to Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor to President Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign never really expected they would need to concede on Election Night.
Speaking at the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in Washington on Friday, Conway explained that Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, devised a plan on how the losing candidate would concede on Election Night. Conway said she agreed to the plan.
"Robby Mook had agreed the night before through an email to me that within 15 minutes of the AP calling the race for Secretary Clinton, they would wait 15 minutes and then she would take to the podium and declare victory," Conway explained. "So he was basically saying that you have 15 minutes for Mr. Trump to get out there or she’s going to declare victory either way."
Mook also said that in the event that Trump wins, Clinton would call to concede within 15 minutes of the AP calling the race, Conway explained adding an exaggerated wink.
"I look down — literally it was like a movie — my phone is ringing and it said ‘Huma Abedin.’ And I said, ‘Hey, Huma. What’s up?' Conway continued.
"And she’s absolutely lovely, she really is," Conway recounted. "And she’s like ‘Hi Kellyanne, Secretary Clinton would like to speak to Mr. Trump.'"
Conway said that Abiden asked if Trump was available, to which Conway replied, "We're very available!"
"My husband took a screenshot of that — the 2:30 a.m," Conway went on to explain. "I handed [Trump] the phone and he and Vice President Pence and their wives were there and the rest is history."
While Clinton conceded to Trump via telephone on Election Night, Clinton did not make a public concession speech, something nearly every other losing presidential candidate has done in modern American political history.
In fact, she never appeared at her Election Night headquarters, the Javits Center in New York City, where thousands of her supporters had gathered believing Clinton would handedly win the night. She later gave a public concession speech the day after the election.
Watch Conway's comments below:
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Staff Writer
Chris Enloe is a staff writer for Blaze News
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