During Monday’s White House Press Briefing, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dished out another liberal media smackdown with CNN being at the forefront for their actions over the past week and a half not only defending, but condoning looting, rioting, and violence done in the name of the late George Floyd.
And with the liberal media having joined the push to defund and eradicate all police departments, McEnany ended the briefing by reminding those spewing anti-police rhetoric that not only are police officers human beings, they’re capable of immense compassion and giving the ultimate sacrifice.
CBS News Radio’s Steven Portnoy provided the opening by twice asking whether the White House had any regrets about the way “people that were peacefully protesting...were rushed out so violently” last Monday, with nary a word about injured and murdered law enforcement officers over the previous week.
With Portnoy representing the liberal media’s refusal to seriously call out the injuries suffered by officers, McEnany said what the President “is sorry about” was how “Antifa wreaked havoc in our streets and the failure of some members of the media to note that.”
Seeing as how they’re so astute at saying the quiet parts out loud, McEnany cited CNN host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo’s June 2 comments defending those not looking to be peaceful: “CNN's Chris Cuomo said ‘show me where it says protesters are supposed to be peaceful.’ Well, I point him to the First Amendment where it says you have the right to ‘peaceably assemble.’ He should go back and read the Constitution.”
But even more egregious than Fredo was the rhetoric of CNN Tonight host Don Lemon who, as McEnany noted, said in a meltdown (on May 30) that the riots would be a “mechanism” for the chance to “restructure...our country.”
She continued, citing statistics on injured police officers and defaced federal buildings that the liberal media would probably defend as necessary sacrifices to achieve racial equality (click “expand”):
There are many others out there like Don Lemon saying rioting is a “mechanism” to “restructure...our country.” Burning down St. Johns, using a pick to — to literally, like, carve out, as we saw in the video concrete from the sidewalk to hurl at officers. That's not peacefully protesting.
The actors — the actions were not in keeping in the First Amendment. And I think the media needs to recognize there's a discernment between the peaceful protesters, many of whom I’ve seen, and the rioters. And yes, America will act against rioters. And yes, under. Trump, he will not allow burning buildings — 150 federal buildings to be defaced and 750 law enforcement officers to be injured in our country.
Later, a reporter leveled the tiresome lie that the President hasn’t addressed the country about Floyd’s murder and racial unrest despite the fact that he spoke on May 30 and June 1 on the matter.
Regarding the former, McEnany noted that “several media outlets chose not to cover it, but then he was down in Florida last Saturday” and spent “half of his speech” following the launch of the SpaceX rocket on Floyd’s murder.
She read out several key lines from the speech before reiterating that, while “some in the media have chosen not to cover it,” they can’t take away the fact that his “words are out there and they’re documented.”
As she’s been prone to do, McEnanly closed the briefing on a high note and statement of sorts. After calling out the liberal media’s double standard on social distancing, she gave the anti-law enforcement, pro-defunding liberal media a sampling of great things police officers have done that drew far less fanfare (click “expand”):
[President Trump has] seen the country safely reopen and I would also just note some of the media contradictions here. Certainly not referring to you, John [Roberts], but just a little more broadly that there isn't an outcry about social distancing among the protests. I mean, I saw one network with footage of the Ozarks and complaining about social distancing in the Ozarks and then seamlessly transitioning into protest footage and not suggesting there was a problem with the lack of social distancing, so I think we have to be very consistent here.
And one note that I really wanted to get in, should have weaved it in earlier. But I think it’s important is just there's so much focus on our police officers right now. There's absolute cases of injustices. Our heart breaks for those cases, but I just want to note some of the great things our police have done last year alone. In Alaska, retired cop Ken Castro jumped in freezing water to help victims to safety after a plane crash. In Idaho, a woman said he saved my son’s life, commenting on a cop who saved her disabled son. In Maine, a detective was killed while helping a motorist. In Rhode Island, a baby that was choking was saved by an officer. In Maryland, an officer was hailed for intervening in an active shooting incident. North Carolina, police thwarted a mass shooting. In Ohio, police took down a mass shooter at a bar. In Wisconsin, a terminally ill girl was visited by 40 officers and K-9s. In New York, Officers Baez and Officer Roman of the NYPD responded to an incident involving a homeless man. They bought him new glasses, a hair cut, a new suit, and they helped him to find a job. In Detroit, Michigan, an officer helped a homeless struggling to shave in the streets. In Virginia, officers could be seen playing with little girls, playing dolls with them on the street. And in Arizona, Charlie called 911 asking for a Happy Meal mistakenly and police delivered. This is who our great law enforcement officers are and we should remember that.
To see the relevant transcript from June 8's briefing, click “expand.”
White House Press Briefing
June 8, 2020
2:25 p.m. EasternSTEVEN PORTNOY: Is there any — a week after what we saw in Lafayette park last Monday night, are there any people here in this building who believe — or does the President believe that perhaps things went the way they shouldn't have gone? Is there any regret on the part of the President or anyone here about how people were treated, people that were peacefully protesting and how they were rushed out so violently?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: No. There’s no regrets on the part of the White House because, look, I’d note that many of those decisions weren't made here within the White House. It was A.G. Barr who made the decision to move the perimeter. Monday night, Park Police also had made that decision independently when they saw all the violence in Lafayette Square. And when — before these protesters were moved by Park Police and they issued that tactical order, there were three loud warnings. And as I believe it was A.G. Barr on Face the Nation noted that some of those protesters moved back and adherered to the warning, but others of those protesters started hurling objects and that was unacceptable. And Park Police acted as they felt they needed to at that time in response and we stand by those actions.
PORTNOY: The country and the world saw that this violent clash between people who were otherwise peacefully protesting, but really, the president is not sorry for the way things went?
MCENANY: No. The President is sorry about Antifa wreaked havoc in our streets and the failure of some members of the media to note that, like CNN's Chris Cuomo said “show me where it says protesters are supposed to be peaceful.” Well, I point him to the First Amendment where it says you have the right to “peaceably assemble.” He should go back and read the Constitution. There are many others out there like Don Lemon saying rioting is a “mechanism” to “restructure...our country.” Burning down St. Johns, using a pick to — to literally, like, carve out, as we saw in the video concrete from the sidewalk to hurl at officers. That's not peacefully protesting. The actors — the actions were not in keeping in the First Amendment. And I think the media needs to recognize there's a discernment between the peaceful protesters, many of whom I’ve seen, and the rioters. And yes, America will act against rioters. And yes, under. Trump, he will not allow burning buildings — 150 federal buildings to be defaced and 750 law enforcement officers to be injured in our country.
PORTNOY: Can I ask you one more about the President?
MCENANY: Ryan.
PORTNOY: Just all —
MCENANY: Oh, I like your blue suit.
RYAN LIZZA: Oh, thank you.
MCENANY: It’s a snazzy look.
LIZZA: Thank you.
MCENANY: Yep?
LIZZA: Just to follow up on that. You do know that the burning of St. John's happened on Sunday night and a lot of the violence that you're talking about, that happened Sunday night. What he was asking about was Monday when, as anyone who was down there knows, that it was almost exclusively peaceful, especially in the moments before the chemical munitions were used on those protesters. So do you want to clarify that about the burning of St. John's? Cause that happened on a different day.
MCENANY: Yeah, the burning of St. John's is what prompted the decision to move the perimeter. It’s what prompted park police to say that evening the perimeter must be moved. It’s what promoted — yes, it prompted A.G. Barr to agree with that decision on Monday that perimeter needed to be moved. But when you hurl objects at Park Police, when you don't move after three orders are given, Park Police acted appropriately when the shield of Park Police was batted down when one person tried to grab a park police officer's weapon, that’s not peaceful by any definition of the world.
LIZZA: And one question on the — the area in front of the White House is now officially known as Black Lives Matter Plaza. Does the president agree with that decision?
MCENANY: I haven't talked with him about it. I haven’t mentioned that to him.
(....)
2:30 p.m. Eastern
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: As you noted, the President has talked about the protests, he’s talked about the death of George Floyd., but he still hasn't given a formal address to the nation. Why isn’t there any plans for him to do that any time soon?
MCENANY: So, the President has addressed the nation on this. I know several media outlets chose not to cover it, but then he was down in Florida last Saturday, he said and I have the whole thing here. As he said many times, “the death of George Floyd on the street of Minneapolis was a great tragedy. It should never, ever have happened.” He spent several minutes going through this. In fact, half of his speech saying, “I understand the pain that people are feeling. We support the right of peaceful protesters. We hear pleas.” And he went on and on and on. He said on Monday, I am your president of law and order and an ally of peaceful protesters. So, he has said it. Some in the media have chosen not to cover it. Those words are out there and they’re documented.
(....)
2:39 p.m. Eastern
JOHN ROBERTS: Again, has the president seen anything that causes him concern?
MCENANY: I would note again the encouraging signs put forward by Dr. Birx. He's seen the country safely reopen and I would also just note some of the media contradictions here. Certainly not referring to you, John, but just a little more broadly that there isn't an outcry about social distancing among the protests. I mean, I saw one network with footage of the Ozarks and complaining about social distancing in the Ozarks and then seamlessly transitioning into protest footage and not suggesting there was a problem with the lack of social distancing, so I think we have to be very consistent here. And one note that I really wanted to get in, should have weaved it in earlier. But I think it’s important is just there's so much focus on our police officers right now. There's absolute cases of injustices. Our heart breaks for those cases, but I just want to note some of the great things our police have done last year alone. In Alaska, retired cop Ken Castro jumped in freezing water to help victims to safety after a plane crash. In Idaho, a woman said he saved my son’s life, commenting on a cop who saved her disabled son. In Maine, a detective was killed while helping a motorist. In Rhode Island, a baby that was choking was saved by an officer. In Maryland, an officer was hailed for intervening in an active shooting incident. North Carolina, police thwarted a mass shooting. In Ohio, police took down a mass shooter at a bar. In Wisconsin, a terminally ill girl was visited by 40 officers and K-9s. In New York, Officers Baez and Officer Roman of the NYPD responded to an incident involving a homeless man. They bought him new glasses, a hair cut, a new suit, and they helped him to find a job. In Detroit, Michigan, an officer helped a homeless struggling to shave in the streets. In Virginia, officers could be seen playing with little girls, playing dolls with them on the street. And in Arizona, Charlie called 911 asking for a Happy Meal mistakenly and police delivered. This is who our great law enforcement officers are and we should remember that.
