On Friday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did something her predecessor, Stephanie Grisham, never did: she held an official press briefing.
Responding to a question from Jill Colvin, The Associated Press reporter, McEnany said, “I will never lie to you. You have my word on this.”
She told reporters that plans to continue the briefings and she will announce “timing forthcoming.” She said she is normally with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
McEnany succeeded Grisham as a press secretary last month. Grisham never held an official briefing. The last one was held in March 2019, which was 417 days ago, according to CNN. Many reports thanked McEnany for holding the official press briefing.
Trump has been holding briefings after briefings through his coronavirus task force team. However, those have been scaled back this week after he suggested injecting disinfectants could treat coronavirus, which he later said that he had been sarcastic.
McEnany was asked was about the president’s comments about the coronavirus originating in a Wuhan lab and whether it is in conflict with a National Intelligence assessment.
She replied, “Let me remind everyone, intelligence is just an estimate, and it’s up to policymakers to decide what to do with that intelligence.”
As a political commentator and writer in the United States, McEnany swiftly answered questions for about 40 minutes.
The press secretary opened the briefing by playing a video of Michael Heup, who spoke earlier this week at the White House. She said, “Michael, thank you. You’re an American hero. Thank you for sharing that message of hope.”
McEnany was asked about the president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who has been serving a prison sentence, and whether the White House intervened to prevent his release. She said, “No. Absolutely not.”
Referring to the case of Michael Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser, she said, “There was an unfair target on the back of General Michael Flynn. It should concern every American anytime there’s a partisan pursuit of an individual.” McEnany was also asked about the allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment that have been made against Trump.
