Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany took to the podium today for her first whack at being on the gauntlet-like job. Nobody knew how well she would do, or if she would fend off any possibly hostile questions from the media well, or trip over her words like some other press secretaries have been known to do in the past.
McEnany started out a little bit timid in the beginning before taking questions, but quickly gained her confidence, and by the time the media started pressing her on President Trump, Michael Flynn, Coronavirus, and other questions, she was fending them off like a pro.
At one point, AP reporter Jill Colvin out of the blue asks, after welcoming McEnany to her new job, if she “pledges never to lie to us” (the press) “from the podium”. This was after Colvin said that she wanted a better sense of what McEnany’s plan is for briefings and if they will be daily. McEnany said she plans more briefings but declined to go as far as to say they would be daily. Watch the short clip below as posted to the Media Right News Twitter feed:
Reporter asks @PressSec Kayleigh McEnany if she plans on lying to the press: pic.twitter.com/xxAZbuMZ12
— Media Right News (@MediaRightNews1) May 1, 2020
It’s interesting to note how the (what some would say) “gotcha press” aimed the question of “lying” at McEnany. Of course, nobody in their right mind would plan to or admit to planning to “lying” to the press. Often times press secretaries misspeak, or may not know exactly how much classified information they may or may not to be allowed to give out, but this was likely done with least a somewhat negative connotation.
It might have even been an underhanded swipe at former Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who left-leaning media outlets claim “lied for President Trump“. Nevertheless, Kayleigh didn’t flinch for even a second when the question was asked, firmly and quickly pledging not to lie.
NBCNewsRadio on Twitter reported:
New White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is making a pledge to reporters. During her first formal briefing, McEnany said she will “never lie” and vowed to continue briefings, but did not commit to daily sessions.
New White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is making a pledge to reporters. During her first formal briefing, McEnany said she will “never lie” and vowed to continue briefings, but did not commit to daily sessions.
— NBCNewsRadio (@NBCNewsRadio) May 1, 2020
See below to watch the entire press briefing:
