Donald Trump campaign chief chides Obama for 'glib' response to Trump's dire assessment of black America

Donald Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was on ABC's This Week Sunday morning, and host George Stephanopoulos asked her about Monday night's debate, the role of debate moderators, whether Trump would apologize for his "birther" crusade ("that's a very personal thing"), and President Obama's response to Trump's assertion that "our African American communities are absolutely in the worst shape they've ever been in before. Ever, ever, ever." On Friday, Obama told ABC News: "I think even most 8-year-olds will tell you that whole slavery thing wasn't very good for black people. Jim Crow wasn't very good for black people."

"So are African American communities really in the worst shape they've ever been?" Stephanopoulos asked. "Seems to me that everything that Donald Trump is saying — and it's too bad that the president is so glib about these issues," Conway said, and Stephanopoulos jumped in: "The president's glib about race issues?" "No, no, no," Conway said, "he was very — he — no, George, he was just very glib about what the — you know, calling — referring to an 8-year old." Trump wants to rebuild inner cities, "tackling full-on poverty and joblessness and homelessness in the inner cities and crime," especially in Chicago, she said. "And we're not going to have a serious conversation about crime in the inner cities?"

Obama, of course, has been having that conversation for years, even if Trump has not been a part of it, but Conway said she thinks "Donald Trump should also be applauded for actually trying to make a difference in these communities." On the debates, Conway said that she thinks all the moderators will be great, including NBC's Lester Holt, but "I really don't appreciate campaigns thinking it is the job of the media to go and be these virtual fact-checkers and that these debate moderators should somehow do their bidding." When Stephanopoulos asked about Trump's big lead over Clinton in documented lies, Conway said that polls show voters trust Trump more than Clinton.

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"I can understand why the Clinton camp is very nervous, because Donald Trump's got great presence, stature, he's a brilliant debater," Conway said. "Newt Gingrich put it best. The former speaker recently said Donald Trump is the best debater he's ever seen, he's like the Babe Ruth of debating, he shows up and swings does a great job." When Stephanopolous asked about Trump's suggestion he would invite purported former Bill Clinton mistress Gennifer Flowers to the debate, since rescinded, Conway said that Trump "wants to remind people that he's a great counter-puncher. They started this one by saying they would give a front-row seat to Mark Cuban — who by the way, until very recently [felt] very favorable toward Donald Trump and his candidacy." Despite Trump's tweet, Flowers "has not been invited by the campaign," Conway said. "She has a right to be there if somebody else gives her a ticket."