Tag: White House press briefing

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Kayleigh McEnany To Press: ‘I Don’t Call On Activists’

Kayleigh McEnany (screen capture)
Wow. When was ‘responding like a brat’ added to the job description of White House press secretary? Holding her first press briefing since October 2 today, Kayleigh McEnany took only a handful of questions before bringing the briefing to an end. When CNN’s Caitlin Collins asked why she wouldn’t take more questions McEnany sniped, “I don’t call on activists.” As McEnany exited the room, Collins responded, “That’s not doing your job. Your taxpayer-funded job.” Collins followed up her initial tweet writing, “It’s understandable why someone who hasn’t done their job — taking questions from reporters — in weeks would confuse someone else doing theirs with activism.” McEnany also told the press corps today, regarding Trump’s fighting the results of the election that “it’s worth remembering, [Trump] was never given an orderly transition of power …” Actually, President Obama hosted Trump at the White House two days after the election. It’s worth noting that McEnany has recently been acting as White House press secretary AND the spokesperson for Donald Trump’s reelection campaign which is highly unusual.

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White House: Reporters No Longer Able To ‘Grandstand’ On TV Is Of No Concern To Us

It’s been months since a Trump press secretary addressed reporters from the podium of the White House briefing room (March 11), and it appears that’s the way things will remain. From ABC News:

Wednesday marks six months since a White House press secretary last came to the podium in the briefing room to field questions from reporters in a traditional format and the Trump administration has no plans to resume the daily and sometimes combative encounters with the White House press corps.

“President Trump communicates directly with the American people more than any President in history. The fact that the White House Press Corps can no longer grandstand on TV is of no concern to us,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement to ABC News.

In previous administrations, regular press briefings have been a centerpiece of the White House communications operation by which the White House both advances their public messaging and engages in a a regular exchange of information with the media on the pressing issues of the day.