A “gotcha” question posed to White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany by a reporter didn’t go well – for the media.
At the White House briefing Wednesday, McEnany was asked about her statement on Feb. 25 to the Fox Business Network that President Trump won’t let the coronavirus come to America.
“This president will always put America first,” she said at the time. “He will always protect American citizens. We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here, we will not see terrorism, and isn’t that refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of Barack Obama?”
What does she have to say about that in light of the global pandemic, asked Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason.
But McEnany was ready.
“I guess I would turn the question back on the media and ask similar questions,” she replied.
“Does Vox want to take back that they proclaimed that the coronavirus would not be a deadly pandemic? Does The Washington Post want to take back that they told Americans to get a grip, the flu is bigger than the coronavirus? Does The Washington Post likewise want to take back that our brains are 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 the N.P.R. want to take back that the flu was a much threat bigger than that of 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 concluded with, “I will leave you with those questions and maybe we’ll have answers in a few days.”
McEnany, who took over as press secretary last month, also went to Twitter to set the record straight:
(1/4) Context matters. Ridiculous spin @KFILE
When I said this, @realDonaldTrump had already taken early action: assembled task force & issued travel restrictions
Meanwhile, Biden called the President’s action “xenophobic” Pelosi said “everything is fine” & “Come to Chinatown” https://t.co/BIkN2WYo9Q
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) April 4, 2020
