A senior advistor to US President-elect Donald Trump says people should see what is in his heart, instead of listening to what comes out of his mouth.
Kellyanne Conway, who was also his campaign manager in the November election, was responding to renewed criticism of Mr Trump - who appeared to mock a disabled journalist during the campaign.
The debate was reignited on Sunday at the Golden Globes, when US actress Meryl Streep used her acceptance speech to criticise Mr Trump.
“It was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good; there was nothing good about it. But it was effective and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh, and show their teeth,” she told the audience.
“It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back.
“It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can’t get it out of my head, because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life.
“And this instinct to humiliate, when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose.”
The President-elect fired back on Twitter, calling Ms Streep “one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood”.
He also says he was imitating reporter Serge Kovaleski “groveling”, and not his disability.
Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017
Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him.......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017
"groveling" when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017
Conway is poised to become Counselor to the President – meaning she will be part of his senior leadership team with responsibility for messaging and other priorities.
And while again defending Mr Trump, she asked CNN: “Why don't you believe him? Why is everything taken at face value?
"You can't give him the benefit of the doubt on this, and he’s telling you what was in his heart?
“You always want to go by what’s come out of his mouth, rather than look at what’s in his heart,” she said.
"Why can't you give him the benefit of the doubt?" Kellyanne Conway says Trump wasn't mocking reporter's disability. https://t.co/3LAWwTIME4
— New Day (@NewDay) January 9, 2017
