Mr. Trump, in a statement emailed Monday evening by his spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said: “Kellyanne came to me and asked whether or not she could go public with her thoughts on the matter. I encouraged her to do so. Most importantly she fully acknowledged there is only one person that makes the decision. She has always been a tremendous asset and that will continue.”…

By denouncing Mr. Romney even as Mr. Trump was preparing for their second meeting, this time over dinner on Tuesday, Ms. Conway was simply doing what she knows Mr. Trump likes: encouraging a public airing of conflicting views when he is unsure of what path to take.

“The president-elect would never need to turn on a TV station to find out how I feel about anything or anyone — he would already know it,” she said, noting that she had not said anything publicly that she had not also shared with Mr. Trump privately. “It would be a mistake to think that I communicate with him through the TV.”