McEnany Turns Around ‘Gotcha’ Question at Briefing With List That Media Might Want to ‘Take Back’

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany held a press briefing today today to update on the Coronavirus response. At the end, Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason asked McEnany about remarks she had made earlier this year while working on President Trump’s reelection campaign.

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

She denied the need to take it back, by saying, “First let me note, I was asked a question on Fox Business about the president’s travel restrictions, I noted what was the intent behind those travel restrictions, which was that we will not see the Coronavirus come here, we will not see terrorism come here.”

She then turned the question back on the reporter with what appeared to be a prepared list of previous headlines and reporting that they should “take back.”

“I guess I would turn the question back on the media and ask similar questions.”

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, The Washington Post, would they like to take back that the government should not respond aggressively to the coronavirus?

She then finished up the briefing by telling the room that she would leave them “with those questions” and maybe they’ll “have some answers in a few days”