Unfortunately for the liberal media, it’s become a routine for White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany to shred them for their years of biased reporting and daily shenanigans.
On Friday, CBS News Radio’s Steven Portnoy found himself on the receiving end after he wondered what crimes the President thought were committed in “Obamagate.” As she’s done repeatedly in her short tenure, McEnany came prepared with a tome of evidence.
She made sure it pertained to the unmasking list in the Michael Flynn investigation before complimenting Portnoy: “I’m really glad you asked because there hasn’t been a lot of journalistic curiosity on this front and I’m very glad that you asked this question.”
McEnany first cited the fact that “[t]he Steele dossier funded by the Democratic National Committee, the --- and opposition political party to the President, was used to obtain FISA warrants to listen in on conversations within the Trump campaign.”
That’s a helpful tidbit since journalists (and former Obama officials) like CNN’s Jim Sciutto have falsely claimed it was a Republican effort.
She continued with a brief but devastating recap of the Flynn case, including the now-infamous January 5, 2017 Oval office meeting concerning the Flynn case, the FBI notes about trapping Flynn, and the leak of Flynn’s name to The Washington Post’s David Ignatius. It was the last point that McEnany reiterated was a crime when Portnoy asked for clarification.
Armed with more examples “if you want to start talking about wrongdoing in the administration,” McEnany cited Andrew McCabe leaking to a reporter “and then lying about it.”
Taking aim at CNN and MSNBC contributors respectively, McEnany went next to James Clapper lying to Congress about NSA data collection and then John Brennan’s false claim that the Steele dossier wasn’t influential in the Russia probe “when, in fact, we know it did and was the basis of attaining FISA warrants.”
“So, there's a lot of mistruths there that were said, many of them were under oath, so I would point you to those. There many other real questions I hope you will all pursue,” she added, which drew Portnoy’s ire.
He sought to trap her by wondering if she believes those people should be jailed and McEnany remained unfazed, informing him that she never said that. She also encouraged him to report on the lies: “Perhaps you should look into it and give me some answers. That is, after all, the job --- that is, after all, the job of reporters to answer the very questions that I’ve laid out and I hope that you guys will take the time to do it.”
Portnoy wasn’t pleased, but McEnany continued listing off more examples (click “expand”):
PORTNOY: It is the job of the press secretary to answer that.
MCENANY: I also find it interesting if we want to start talking about fabrication of crimes, we can litigate that case pretty publicly with James Clapper, who said what President Trump did with Russia pales --- that Watergate paled in comparison. We can talk about Eric Swalwell lying and saying President Trump was working on behalf of the Russians. We can talk about Hakeem Jeffries lying and saying that the President was a Russian asset. We can talk about Schiff saying there was ample evidence of collusion in plain sight when, in fact, there was not. we can talk about Mark Warner saying there was enormous amounts of evidence of collusion. We can talk about a CNN historian who said there was a smell of treason in the Trump-Russia probe when, in fact, for three years, you all talked about collusion and there was none and it was a huge injustice not just to this administration but to the American people who deserve truth, not the alleging of absolutely false allegations against this President.
After a lax 2019, NewsBusters will have a plethora of examples in December for our year-in-review of the best/worst briefing room moments as Friday gave us yet another nominee.
To see the relevant transcript from May 15’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House Press Briefing
May 15, 2020STEVEN PORTNOY: Switching gears for a moment. Also in this interview with Maria Bartiromo the other day, the President suggested that people should be jailed for what he said earlier in the week was a very obvious crime. You’re an attorney and the President’s spokesperson, perhaps you can layout the elements of this crime. What crime was committed and in what way?
KAYELIGH MCENANY: I assume you're referring to the Obama administration and the unmasking and ---
PORTNOY: The President called it Obamagate. What is it? What are the elements of that crime?
MCENANY: Yeah, I’m really glad you asked because there hasn’t been a lot of journalistic curiosity on this front and I’m very glad that you asked this question. Look, there were a number of questions raised by the actions of the Obama administration. The Steele dossier funded by the Democratic National Committee, the --- and opposition political party to the President, was used to obtain FISA warrants to listen in on conversations within the Trump campaign. There was the unmasking of the identity of Michael Flynn and we know that in a January 5th meeting, in the Oval Office of President Obama, Sally Yates from the Department of Justice learned about the unmasking, not from the Department of Justice or the FBI, she learned about it from President Obama and was stunned and could barely process what she was hearing at the time because she was stunned of his knowledge of that. We know that there was a lot of wrongdoing in the case of Michael Flynn. The FBI notes, for instance, that said should we “get him” to lie as they pontificated their strategy. We know that the identity of this three-decade general was leaked to the press, a criminal leak to the press of the identity in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights. These are very serious questions. They’ve been ignored by the media for far too long and I’m very glad that I think that's the second question that I have fielded on Lt. General Michael Flynn because justice does matter. Those questions? They matter.
PORTNOY: To be clear, I heard you mention one thing that was criminal and that was what?
MCENANY: The one think that I said was criminal? The leaking of his name. And the very real questions that have been raised, but if you want to start talking about wrongdoing in the administration, I’m happy to go through Andy McCabe leaking to The Wall Street Journal and then lying about it. I’m happy to talk about James Clapper lying before Congress, saying the NSA does not monitor phone calls. That was an inaccuracy, to say the least, if not a lie. And John Brennan telling Congress that the bogus Steele Dossier claimed no role in the Russia probe when, in fact, we know it did and was the basis of attaining FISA warrants. So, there's a lot of mistruths there that were said, many of them were under oath, so I would point you to those. There many other real questions I hope you will all pursue.
PORTNOY: The President has said those people should be jailed. The people you just mentioned.
MCENANT: I never said that. Those are your words, not mine but perhaps you should look into it and give me some answers. That is, after all, the job ---
PORTNOY: Kayleigh, he said that they should be jailed, so I’m wondering.
MCENANY: --- that is, after all, the job of reporters to answer the very questions that I’ve laid out and I hope that you guys will take the time to do it.
PORTNOY: It is the job of the press secretary to answer that.
MCENANY: I also find it interesting if we want to start talking about fabrication of crimes, we can litigate that case pretty publicly with James Clapper, who said what President Trump did with Russia pales --- that Watergate paled in comparison. We can talk about Eric Swalwell lying and saying President Trump was working on behalf of the Russians. We can talk about Hakeem Jeffries lying and saying that the President was a Russian asset. We can talk about Schiff saying there was ample evidence of collusion in plain sight when, in fact, there was not. we can talk about Mark Warner saying there was enormous amounts of evidence of collusion. We can talk about a CNN historian who said there was a smell of treason in the Trump-Russia probe when, in fact, for three years, you all talked about collusion and there was none and it was a huge injustice not just to this administration but to the American people who deserve truth, not the alleging of absolutely false allegations against this President.
