Conway Discusses Trump Policies During Interview
Attorney George Conway, known for his opposition to President Donald Trump and his role in founding the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, became visibly emotional during an interview with The Bulwark podcast. The moment followed a White House directive targeting Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Weiss), a law firm accused of participating in politically motivated legal actions against the administration.
The March 14 memo, signed by President Trump, accused Paul Weiss of engaging in litigation that limits constitutional freedoms and undermines election integrity. The memo alleged the firm had participated in pro bono legal action against individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol riot and cited discriminatory practices within the firm itself. In response to the order, Paul Weiss agreed to provide $40 million in pro bono legal services to the administration in exchange for the directive’s withdrawal.
Additionally, the Justice Department—under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi—launched a formal review into law firms accused of filing “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious” litigation against the United States. The move aligns with a broader White House initiative to counter judicial roadblocks to its immigration and fiscal policies, particularly on deportation and government efficiency.
Conway’s emotional reaction came in response to a public letter written by two granddaughters of Judge Simon Rifkind, co-founder of Paul Weiss, who decried the administration’s actions as an assault on the rule of law. Conway referred to the letter as “profoundly moving,” stating it represented more than legal disagreement—it symbolized what he described as a broader threat to democratic norms.
“I’m gonna get moist eye here,” Conway said during the interview. He praised the granddaughters for their moral clarity, stating, “this is a fight for democracy, this is a fight for the rule of law.” Conway added that he had personally emailed one of the women to thank her, despite not knowing either.
The Trump administration’s action comes amid intensifying scrutiny of the legal profession’s role in what the president and his allies call “lawfare”—the use of the legal system as a political weapon. The memo instructing Attorney General Bondi to sanction hostile legal actors reflects the administration’s hardline approach to managing opposition from within the judiciary and legal community.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court backed the administration by reversing a lower court order from Judge James Boasberg that had blocked the deportation of Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. That decision cleared the path for more aggressive immigration enforcement, despite legal resistance from several lower-court judges.
George Conway has a well-documented history of criticizing Donald Trump, even while his former spouse, Kellyanne Conway, served in a senior role at the White House. Conway previously called for Trump’s removal in 2019 and supported legal theories that sought to disqualify Trump from running again under the 14th Amendment—claims that failed to gain traction among constitutional scholars.
Despite his legal background, Conway’s latest comments have been framed as emotional and symbolic rather than substantive, focusing on moral outrage rather than legal argument.