• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Former White House Aide Cliff Sims Calls Trump Counselor Kellyanne Conway a ‘Cartoon Villain Come to Life’ in New Book

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 24, 2019, 11:07 AM ET

Former White House aide Cliff Sims’ book, Team of Vipers, has yet to hit the bookshelves, but some of the juicier tidbits are already coming to light.

The one-time Trump loyalist has already revealed the president had hoped for the U.S. to go to Mars during his term. Now, another excerpt from the book is providing insight about another Trump loyalist, Kellyanne Conway.

Based on an excerpt shared by Vanity Fair’s Hive, Conway may in fact be guilty of the most egregious leaks against Trump. Sims recounts a day in 2017 when Conway asked him to help her draft a response after she was accused of being two-faced by the hosts of Morning Joe.

According to Sims, while he sat at Conway’s computer drafting the statement, streams of iMessages between Conway and reporters were appearing on the screen—messages which appeared simultaneously on her computer because her phone and computer were linked.

Conway was reportedly having numerous conversations with several reporters, most of them, Sims writes, from outlets the White House frequently disparaged. “Journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Politico, and Bloomberg were all popping up on the screen,” Sims recounts.

The conversations allegedly ranged from bashing her colleagues by name, to sharing private conversations she had with Trump. Sims claims that in her messages, Conway was telling reporters about times she’d “convinced” Trump to “see things her way,” “talking about him like a child she had to set straight.”

Calling Conway “a cartoon villain brought to life,” Sims claims her agenda “was her survival over all others”—which she pursued by “playing a double game…[of] putting a foot in both worlds.”

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Even with $850 billion to his name, Elon Musk admits ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ But billionaire Mark Cuban says it’s not so simple
By Preston ForeFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still drives a 2015 pickup truck even after it broke down on the highway—despite his $37 million contract
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 7, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nestlé’s CEO drinks 8 coffees a day, but says Gen Z staffers are his secret to staying sharp by ‘learning constantly’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 5, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Larry Ellison and Jeff Bezos have seen more than $66 billion swiped from their net worths since the start of this year as AI-driven slump sees tech billionaires’ wealth free-fall
By Emma BurleighFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of February 6, 2026
By Danny BakstFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Crypto
Bitcoin whales and ETFs are bailing out of the market; UBS warns: ‘Crypto is not an asset’
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 6, 2026
2 days ago

Latest in

Real EstateHousing
We may be looking at the housing affordability crisis all wrong. Higher earners are driving home prices, not lack of supply, researchers say
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
7 hours ago
Asiaeconomic outlook
Malaysia’s economy minister sees 2026 as a year of ‘execution’ as Anwar administration tries to lock in policy gains
By Nicholas Gordon and Angelica AngFebruary 7, 2026
8 hours ago
PoliticsElections
ICE protests, Bad Bunny flip script on Trump’s midterms playbook
By Alicia Diaz, Augusta Saraiva and BloombergFebruary 7, 2026
9 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentFootball
The Super Bowl made scarcity its superpower
By Randall Williams and BloombergFebruary 7, 2026
9 hours ago
EconomyFintech
Dorsey’s Block cutting up to 10% of staff in efficiency push
By Natasha Mascarenhas, Emily Mason and BloombergFebruary 7, 2026
9 hours ago
PoliticsMedia
Trump backs Nexstar’s $6.2 billion takeover of broadcast rival Tegna, a few months after blasting merger of ‘Radical Left Networks’
By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated PressFebruary 7, 2026
10 hours ago