Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts on Thursday ripped White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany after she failed to answer his question on whether she can give a “definitive” statement on President Trump denouncing white supremacists.
The exchange followed widespread backlash over Trump directing the far-right hate group known as the “Proud Boys” to “stand back and stand by” during his first debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden.
During the briefing Thursday, Roberts asked for “a definitive and declarative statement without ambiguity or deflection” on Trump condemning white supremacy.
After McEnany insisted that “this was answered by the President himself” and that he has “condemned more than any president in modern history,” Roberts pushed back by noting that she did not specifically answer his question as she kept pointing to the President’s past remarks.
McEnany went on to attack the media.
“The President has denounced it repeatedly. The President was asked this,” McEnany said, referring to the President’s attempt to walk back his remarks the day after the debate by nonsensically claiming that he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are. “You are contriving a story line and narrative.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodges when asked by Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts to give a "definitive" statement against white supremacy pic.twitter.com/iedlPfQQZx
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 1, 2020
After the briefing, Roberts aired his grievances on the White House’s non-answer to his question.
“It’s a question that needs to be asked. Clearly the President’s Republican colleagues a mile away from here are looking for an answer for it too,” Roberts said. “Stop deflecting. Stop blaming the media. I’m tired of it.”
On Fox News, @johnrobertsFox is visibly angry that @PressSec won't offer a clear denunciation of white supremacy: "Stop deflecting. Stop blaming the media. I'm tired of it. " pic.twitter.com/GcPcOsAHqJ
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) October 1, 2020
In a tweet issued after the briefing, McEnany referred Roberts to a question that his wife, ABC News correspondent Kyra Phillips, asked during Trump’s attempt to walk back his incendiary remarks during the debate.
.@johnrobertsFox I would refer you to your wife’s reporting from 21 hours ago… accurate reporting I cited in the White House Press Briefing. https://t.co/dV3Hzp1UaI
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 1, 2020
Roberts wasn’t the only member of the press McEnany went after during the dicey briefing.
When pressed by CBS’ Paula Reid on the President’s “mixed” record on denouncing racism and hate groups, crosstalk between McEnany and Reid ensued, prompting the White House press secretary to launch into a rant against the media.
“Let me finish. It’s funny how the media goes haywire about interrupting in the debates and then chooses to pursue that very same tactic themselves,” McEnany said. “This is a White House briefing. You ask a question and you give me time to answer.”
.@paulareidcbs presses Kayleigh McEnany on President Trump's inconsistent statements denouncing racism and hate groups: "You're saying that he condemns it. I have his record right here. It's mixed. His record is mixed." https://t.co/Nj065CIsxp pic.twitter.com/IlfX1GRLaf
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 1, 2020
McEnany continued her diatribe against the media when asked by CNN’s Kaitlin Collins about the President’s “Proud Boys” shoutout during the debate, by repeatedly insisting that Trump denounced the group and blaming the media for “continu(ing) to put the names into circulation and give them a lot of public attention.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Trump's Proud Boys shoutout during debate: "The media continues to put the names into circulation and give them a lot of public attention." pic.twitter.com/mwHL0YuaAN
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 1, 2020
Like Roberts, Collins took issue with McEnany’s lack of denouncement against the “Proud Boys” in a tweet.
If the far-right group that espouses misogynistic, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic views celebrates what you said about them and prints it on t-shirts, you didn’t denounce them.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 1, 2020
