White House Press Secretary Destroys Media in One Minute

Say this about new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany: she was prepared.

Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason was playing a game of gotcha with McEnany and ended up on the wrong side of that battle.

He asked McEnany if she wanted to take back a statement she made while working for the Trump campaign.

“In a previous life before you were press secretary, you worked for the campaign and you made a comment I believe on Fox in which you said President Trump will not allow coronavirus to come to this country. Given what has happened since then, obviously, would you like to take that back?” Mason asked.

By her reaction, she obviously knew that statement would come up. So, she did her homework and came out with both barrels blasting.

"I was asked a question on FOX Business about the president’s travel restrictions," she said.  "I noted what the intent behind the travel restrictions which was we will not see the coronavirus come here. We will not see terrorism come here referring to an earlier set of travel restrictions."

Fair enough. Those in politics always use the “out of context” excuse.

What she did next though showed just how ready she was to engage.

"I guess I would turn the question back to the media and ask similar questions,” she said.

“Does Vox want to take back that they proclaimed the coronavirus would not be a deadly pandemic?"

"Does the Washington Post want to take back that they told Americans to get a grip that the flu is bigger than the coronavirus?"

"Does the Washington Post, likewise, want to take back that our brains our causing us to exaggerate the threat of the coronavirus?"

"Does the New York Times want to take back that fear of the virus may be spreading faster than the virus itself?"

"Does NPR want to take back that the flu was a much bigger threat than the coronavirus?"

"And, finally once again, does the Washington Post want to take back that the government should not respond aggressively to the coronavirus?"

Then, as she exited the briefing, she dropped the mic.

"I’ll leave you with those questions and maybe you’ll have some answers in a few days."