U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside daughter Ivanka Trump (R) and Kellyanne Conway (C), White House Counselor, during an event in honor of Military Mothers and Spouses in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, May 9, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he won't fire White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, a day after a government watchdog agency recommended her be removed over violations of a federal law.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said Thursday that Conway violated the Hatch Act "on numerous occasions by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media."

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials, from engaging in some forms of political activity.

Speaking to Fox & Friends on Friday, Trump said that he had been briefed on the matter and that he would not fire the long-time aide.

"I'm not going to fire her. I think she's a terrific person," Trump said. "She's got to have a right of responding to questions."

OSC said in a statement that "Conway is a repeat offender and has shown disregard for the law," while recommending that she be removed from federal service.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone, in a letter, accused OSC's report of making "unfair and unsupported claims against a close adviser to the President" based on "multiple fundamental legal and factual errors."

Conway, 52, was Trump's campaign manager in 2016.

A loyal and fierce defender of the president, she's overseeing White House efforts on reducing deaths by opioids.