Along with reporters donning masks (which led to muffled questions), Friday’s abbreviated White House Press Briefing was tough sledding for the liberal media. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany began her third briefing highlighting the Justice Department dropping the Michael Flynn case and citing NewsBusters before ending later with a zing to a perturbed Paula Reid from CBS.
And for the supposed geniuses at CNN and MSNBC, they didn't carry Friday's briefing. This was despite the fact that the liberal media routinely threw fits over the lack of daily briefing, but now that McEnany has assumed the post and brought them back, they've decided to stop caring.
McEnany ended her passionate defense of Flynn and torching of the Deep State with a quote from Montesquieu and a nod to this post from our own Nicholas Fondacaro:
I hope the media will take these questions very seriously, will report the facts. There was heavy interest in the first iteration of Flynn news from many years ago, that got four times the coverage than the exoneration Michael Flynn got today. That was a report by the Media Research Center. So, these facts are important, and thank you very much for those who have taken interest in reporting.
And then as she left the podium 11 minutes later ahead of a White House event, Reid feigned outrage that McEnany started with the Flynn news.
Instead of ignoring her, McEnany gave her a friendly glare before saying “justice matters” (click “expand”):
MCENANY: Oh, two minutes to 1:00. I'm sorry to cut this short. But as you know, you guys were supposed to meet with three minutes go with the President of the United States.
REID: Kayleigh ---
MCENANY: So, I will leave you guys with that. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ---
REID: --- why did you spend the first part of this briefing talking ---
MCENANY: --- and thanks so much everyone.
REID: --- about Mike Flynn when both the President and Vice President
MCENANY: Justice matters.
REID: --- were exposed to coronavirus amid historic unemployment? Is that's what really what's top of mind today for the White House.
In between, there were plenty of fireworks.
Fake News Jim Acosta led off on the economy, but instead of asking it in a straightforward manner, he had to jab with this kicker: “What is the President plan to get this country out of this ditch?”
In his third question, he highlighted the media’s doubled-mindedness of wondering about economic relief amid great financial ruin then decrying efforts to reopen:
Isn’t there a problem with --- isn't it a problem, though? The President wants people to get back to work, he wants a governess to reopen their states, but if Americans aren't covered going to restaurants and movie theaters or the beach or whatever, how do you get this economy moving again? What --- what’s the plan?
After the AP’s Zeke Miller wondered why anyone should go back to work when two people at the White House recently tested positive for the virus, ABC’s Jonathan Karl focused on a liberal media fixation of the President not wearing a mask (despite the fact that he’s perhaps the most-tested person in the country).
But the real fireworks came when taxpayer-funded Yamiche Alcindor of PBS unsuccessfully tried to trap McEnany by citing the latest from CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski (aka KFILE) about statements she made while a CNN guest (and paid political commentator).
Like she did in the past, McEnany turned the tables on the liberal media by asking them (along with KFILE) to look into past false claims about Russian collusion made by any number of former Obama officials they routinely suck up to (click “expand”):
But I --- I would encourage the individual who did that analysis of my past, rather than focusing on me, he really should be focused on some of the very guests CNN has on their network. He should be focused on, I mean, my --- over here, Jim Clapper, who said, you know, ten days before he privately told investigators there was no evidence of collusion, that Watergate pales in comparison to the Russia probe. I’d encourage them to look at Samantha Powers, who’s privately saying, "I'm not in possession of any evidence of collusion." Ambassador Rice: "I don't recall intelligence or evidence of any collusion." Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch: "I do not recall that being brief to me."
And for three years --- two years, probably more than that, CNN ran with the collusion narrative and if the American people are watching right now, they’re probably very confused as to some of the quotes I read cause those individuals were saying much different things publicly than they were saying privately and I’m very grateful that those transcripts were released yesterday and perhaps KFILE should do an analysis of that.
As the saying goes, that’s going to leave a mark.
To see the relevant transcript from May 8’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House Press Briefing
May 8, 2020
12:47 p.m. Eastern
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: In the words of renowned political philosopher Baron de Montesquieu, there is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice. I hope the media will take these questions very seriously, will report the facts. There was heavy interest in the first iteration of Flynn news from many years ago, that got four times the coverage than the exoneration Michael Flynn got today. That was a report by the Media Research Center. So, these facts are important, and thank you very much for those who have taken interest in reporting.
(….)
12:47 p.m. Eastern
JIM ACOSTA: I wanted to ask you. Putting aside the situation with Michael Flynn, today the unemployment rate hit the highest point since the Great Depression. What is the President plan to get this country out of this ditch?
MCENANY: Yeah, no, this President is the job's President. This President got us to a place where we had the lowest employment rate in the history of this country. Historic lows for black Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and disabled veterans. As the President has noted, I think that this is right. We have to put a stop to the economy. It was a pod. This wasn't some economic catastrophe that organically happened. It was decided upon by the President of the United States to stop the United States economy because we had to save 2.2 million lives, perhaps more, somewhere in that range because American lives? That's what mattered most and so this President, when faced with tough decision to put a pause on the hottest economy in modern history, said American lives matter most and that’s what he did. And I can tell you this, the President who got us to the hottest economy in modern history, he’s done it once and he can do it again.
ACOSTA: What’s the plan?
(….)
12:49 p.m. Eastern
ACOSTA: Isn’t there a problem with --- isn't it a problem, though? The President wants people to get back to work, he wants a governess to reopen their states, but if Americans aren't covered going to restaurants and movie theaters or the beach or whatever, how do you get this economy moving again? What --- what’s the plan?
MCENANY: I can tell you there's a lot of pent up demand in this country. There’s a lot of people who do want to go out to restaurants, who do want to go to movies, who do want to go back to their jobs. We see it and we hear about it every day. People can trust that we have a President who wants to reopen and reopen safely and these are data-driven guidelines to reopening. The President has those in place, so there is no reason to be concerned, because we have a President who always looks at the data, as Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx have repeatedly noted. Zeke?
ZEKE MILLER: Kayleigh, there was a second confirmed case of Cova nation at the White House today. Apparently, a member of the Vice President’s staff. That's two in two days in a building where people are being tested now, including the President and the vice President, every day and have had their temperature checked. Why should the average American who’s work places doesn’t have access to these rapid tests feel comfortable going to work if the White House isn't even safe for people?
(….)
12:51 p.m. Eastern
JONATHAN KARL: Kayleigh, did --- did --- the President, of course, we saw the President go down to the World War II memorial with a group of seven American heroes all in their 90s. Did he give any consideration to wearing a mask given that his valet just tested the positive when he’s with some of those in the most vulnerable population. Did he --- did he consider wearing a mask while he was with these veterans?
MCENANY: Well, this President is regularly tested. This President will make the decision as to whether he will wear a mask or not. I can tell you that those veterans are protected. They made the choice to come here, because they have chosen to put their nation first. They wanted to be with their commander in chief on this momentous day. It was their choice to come here, and I can tell you that the President always puts the safety of our veterans first and the American people first.
(….)
12:53 p.m. Eastern
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: In 2015, shortly after the President said that some Mexican immigrants are racist and criminal, you said that language was racist and hateful. Do you still believe that today?
MCENANY: Well, I'm actually glad you asked that, because for about the first four weeks of the election, I was watching CNN and I was naively believing some of the headlines that I saw on CNN and I ---
ALCINDOR: That question isn’t asking you to read those headlines. I just want to know if you still believe that.
MCENANY: I’m actually --- I’m actually not going to read the headlines, so I very quickly took --- came around to supporting the President. In fact, CNN hired me. I was on many eight-on-one panels where I proudly supported this President who I believe is one of the best Presidents, if not the best President this country will ever have. But I --- I would encourage the individual who did that analysis of my past, rather than focusing on me, he really should be focused on some of the very guests CNN has on their network. He should be focused on, I mean, my --- over here, Jim Clapper, who said, you know, ten days before he privately told investigators there was no evidence of collusion, that Watergate pales in comparison to the Russia probe. I’d encourage them to look at Samantha Powers, who’s privately saying, "I'm not in possession of any evidence of collusion." Ambassador Rice: "I don't recall intelligence or evidence of any collusion." Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch: "I do not recall that being brief to me." And for three years --- two years, probably more than that, CNN ran with the collusion narrative and if the American people are watching right now, they’re probably very confused as to some of the quotes I read cause those individuals were saying much different things publicly than they were saying privately and I’m very grateful that those transcripts were released yesterday and perhaps KFILE should do an analysis of that. [TO EBONY BOWDEN] Yes.
ALCINDOR: Are you walking back those comments today at all? Or do you stand by those comments that you made?
MCENANY: I support this President. There is no questioning that. So honored to work for him.
(….)
12:58 p.m. Eastern
MCENANY: Oh, two minutes to 1:00. I'm sorry to cut this short. But as you know, you guys were supposed to meet with three minutes go with the President of the United States.
PAULA REID: Kayleigh ---
MCENANY: So, I will leave you guys with that. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ---
REID: --- why did you spend the first part of this briefing talking ---
MCENANY: --- and thanks so much everyone.
REID: --- about Mike Flynn when both the President and Vice President
MCENANY: Justice matters.
REID: --- were exposed to coronavirus amid historic unemployment? Is that's what really what's top of mind today for the White House?
