WATCH: Kellyanne Conway Addresses Kneeling on Oval Office Couch: ‘I Certainly Meant No Disrespect’

Kellyanne Conway spoke out about the couch controversy and offered an explanation as to why she was kneeling on the Oval Office furniture.

“I was very busy today and didn’t follow a lot of it, but I know there are a couple of reports at least showing what happened. And what happened is we had the largest gathering of men and women to date in the Oval Office for a picture,” the White House adviser explained on Tuesday’s episode of Fox News’ Lou Dobbs Tonight.

“I was being asked to take a picture in a crowded room with the press behind us. I was asked to take a certain angle and was doing exactly that. I certainly meant no disrespect, I didn’t mean to have my feet on the couch,” she continued.

On Monday, Conway was photographed kneeling on an Oval Office couch and browsing her phone while President Donald Trump met with leaders of historically black colleges and universities.

When asked by Dobbs about the “deplorable hypocrisy” and the “venom of the left” regarding the photo’s backlash, Conway blamed an unnamed journalist.

“It is venomous, it is vicious, it bothers my children to be frank with you. I have 24/7 Secret Service protection because people do wish us harm and people should take that very seriously. I’m not a victim at all but people should take very seriously the import of their words when I meant no disrespect,” Conway shared. “This came from a journalist that is not happy that Donald Trump is the President. But I just want people to focus on the great work of the HBCU presidents and how honored we were to have them here.”

The response to Conway’s couch photo was not all negative. Several defended the counselor to the president, including Omarosa Manigault, who is a top aide to Trump.

“I saw her taking pictures — it was a very sweet moment, to be honest,” Manigault said in an interview with the Washington Post. “She looked down at the picture after she got it, and I looked at her and said, ‘Kellyanne, did you get a good shot?’ Because I wanted one for my own records.”

Adding, “I literally looked at her and said, ‘Kellyanne, can you try to get a good shot?’ . . . She tried again; she positioned herself to get a better picture. It really was at my encouragement for her to try to capture such an important, historic moment.”