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Kayleigh McEnany’s claims of press double standards ridiculed in video montage

Former Trump White House press secretary suggests Jen Pskai is being served ‘soft’ questions by the media, one Twitter user has called her out her claims with footage

Jade Bremner
Tuesday 08 June 2021 09:35 EDT
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Kayleigh McEnany in the White House in January
Kayleigh McEnany in the White House in January (Getty Images)

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Former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has been mocked after complaining about positive coverage of the current press secretary, Jen Psaki.

“Instead of the glowing profiles, there were hit pieces repeatedly, time and time again,” McEnany said on her Fox News talk show, Outnumbered, about her time in the White House, following the rumour that Ms Psaki was being photographed by Annie Leibovitz for a magazine.

Ms McEnany also suggested that the Biden administration was being served “soft” questions by the press corps.

Sharing Ms McEnany’s comment saying “we did not get questions like that”, Twitter user Acyn compiled a video montage of some of the pandering questions the Trump press secretary fielded during her time in the White House.

“I’d like to ask you if the president has considered pardoning President Obama for illegally wiretapping on Trump towers, illegally spying on US citizens, and other potential crimes out there, has he considered that?” asked OAN reporter Chanel Rion in the montage.

In another clip, the same reporter asked: “Do you consider the term ‘Chinese food’ racist?” President Trump replied “No”. Rion continued: “Major left-wing news media, even in this room have teamed up with Chinese communist party narratives and they are claiming you’re racist.”

The montage showed another reporter handing President Trump a compliment in the form of a question.

“Mr President, your approval ratings have been the highest they’ve ever been, as well as your ratings on the handling of the virus. There are some networks debating whether to carry these briefings live, do you think there is a link between the two?” the reporter asked.

Ms McEnany has been working for Fox News as a newscaster since March, and has frequently voiced her outrage at the treatment of Trump White House officials by members of the media.

“It’s just so sad that you have a fawning press corps like this, a fawning media sycophantically covering members of the Biden administration,” said Ms McEnany on the network in early June. “They asked Jen Psaki yesterday about Joe Biden’s cat, it’s incredible the kinds of questions they ask … we need investigative journalism, we don’t need fawning coverage, it doesn’t do the American people any justice.”

Legendary photographer Ms Leibovitz, who possibly shot Ms Psaki for an upcoming Vogue profile, has also done portraits of Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris forVogue. She did not do portraits of former first lady Melania Trump or former Trump press secretaries Morgan Ortagus and Sarah Sanders, during their time in the administration.

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