Kellyanne Conway slams Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, says she 'doesn't seem to know much about anything'

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Kellyanne Conway at a meeting in the White House.

• Kellyanne Conway, President Donald Trump's senior adviser, became the latest conservative to attack Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive 29-year-old New York Democrat, on Tuesday.
• Conway called Ocasio-Cortez "a 29-year-old congresswoman who doesn't seem to know much about anything," during an interview on "Fox and Friends."
• Conway later told reporters that Ocasio-Cortez is "one of your new favorite flavors in Congress," while refusing to use her name.

Kellyanne Conway, President Donald Trump's senior adviser, became the latest conservative to attack Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive 29-year-old New York Democrat, on Tuesday.

Conway called Ocasio-Cortez "a 29-year-old congresswoman who doesn't seem to know much about anything," after the incoming House member criticized outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly in a tweet on Monday.

Ocasio-Cortez elevated Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee's request that Kelly apologize to Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat who Kelly has falsely claimed took credit for securing funding for a public building. Ocasio-Cortez accused Kelly of "cowardice" if he doesn't issue an apology.

The White House counselor turned her defense of Kelly into criticism of the left during a Tuesday morning interview on "Fox and Friends."

"He is in his fifth decade of public service, and this country owes him a debt of gratitude, not the nonsense that's been spewed about him, even recently from the left and from this 29-year-old congresswoman who doesn't seem to know much about anything when you ask her basic concepts about the economy, the Middle East, military funding - really embarrassing," said Conway, who refused to say Ocasio-Cortez's name and later referred to her as "one of your new favorite flavors in Congress" while speaking to reporters at the White House.

Conservative media and politicians have aggressively criticized Ocasio-Cortez ever since she unexpectedly trounced Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in the June primary, pouncing on her every public misstep, including when she called the Israeli presence in the West Bank an "occupation" of Palestinian land, and when she misstated the amount of taxpayer money the Department of Defense has lost track of.

The Republican National Committee has characterized Ocasio-Cortez as a "mini-Maduro," Fox News' Sean Hannity has called her "downright scary," and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens compared her to Hugo Chávez. Meanwhile, right-wing media has spilled much ink and spent countless hours on cable news discussing her clothing.