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| Kayleigh McEnany replaces Stephanie Grisham as Trump press secretary – report | Kayleigh McEnany replaces Stephanie Grisham as Trump press secretary – report |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Controversial spokesperson for Trump re-election campaign takes over for Grisham, who never held a press briefing | Controversial spokesperson for Trump re-election campaign takes over for Grisham, who never held a press briefing |
| Donald Trump has shaken up his communications operation by hiring Kayleigh McEnany, a controversial spokeswoman for his re-election campaign, as his fourth White House press secretary, according to multiple media reports. | Donald Trump has shaken up his communications operation by hiring Kayleigh McEnany, a controversial spokeswoman for his re-election campaign, as his fourth White House press secretary, according to multiple media reports. |
| She replaces Stephanie Grisham, who had only been in the position for nine months and was the first press secretary in modern times never to hold a formal briefing for reporters, the New York Times and other outlets said. | She replaces Stephanie Grisham, who had only been in the position for nine months and was the first press secretary in modern times never to hold a formal briefing for reporters, the New York Times and other outlets said. |
| This and other personnel changes on the communications team – the latest in years of constant turnover in the Trump administration – were directed by the president’s new chief of staff, the former Republican congressman Mark Meadows. | This and other personnel changes on the communications team – the latest in years of constant turnover in the Trump administration – were directed by the president’s new chief of staff, the former Republican congressman Mark Meadows. |
| McEnany, who turns 32 next week, will be unusually young to hold the press secretary position. She interned at the White House during the George W Bush administration, studied at Harvard law school, Georgetown and Oxford, and became a CNN contributor in 2016. | McEnany, who turns 32 next week, will be unusually young to hold the press secretary position. She interned at the White House during the George W Bush administration, studied at Harvard law school, Georgetown and Oxford, and became a CNN contributor in 2016. |
| She then hosted a show on Trump’s Facebook page and worked as a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. In 2018 she published a book, The New American Revolution: The Making of a Populist Movement, with a foreword by the Fox News host Sean Hannity. | She then hosted a show on Trump’s Facebook page and worked as a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. In 2018 she published a book, The New American Revolution: The Making of a Populist Movement, with a foreword by the Fox News host Sean Hannity. |
| McEnany joined Trump’s re-election campaign and has been an unabashed defender. Last August, in a combative interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, she insisted: “He doesn’t lie. The press lies.” | McEnany joined Trump’s re-election campaign and has been an unabashed defender. Last August, in a combative interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, she insisted: “He doesn’t lie. The press lies.” |
| And last October, appearing on Fox News, she said of Democrats’ impeachment investigation: “First, it was Russia. Now it’s Ukraine. There will always be something because this is a coup against a sitting president. Not an impeachment inquiry.” | And last October, appearing on Fox News, she said of Democrats’ impeachment investigation: “First, it was Russia. Now it’s Ukraine. There will always be something because this is a coup against a sitting president. Not an impeachment inquiry.” |
| With the Trump administration under fire for its inconsistent messaging around the coronavirus outbreak and its attempts to play down the threat of Covid-19, McEnany recently found herself in the spotlight. | With the Trump administration under fire for its inconsistent messaging around the coronavirus outbreak and its attempts to play down the threat of Covid-19, McEnany recently found herself in the spotlight. |
| On 25 February, McEnany told Fox Business: “We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here, we will not see terrorism come here and isn’t it refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President Obama.” | |
| In response to a reporter from CNN – a favourite target for Trump’s complaints about “fake news” – McEnany said she had been referring to travel restrictions Trump placed on China and added: “President Trump works to defeat the invisible enemy while you mislead the nation!” | In response to a reporter from CNN – a favourite target for Trump’s complaints about “fake news” – McEnany said she had been referring to travel restrictions Trump placed on China and added: “President Trump works to defeat the invisible enemy while you mislead the nation!” |
| A devout Christian who often wears a cross, McEnany hails from Plant City, Florida, which she describes as “the world’s strawberry capital”, and calls herself “a small-town girl”. | A devout Christian who often wears a cross, McEnany hails from Plant City, Florida, which she describes as “the world’s strawberry capital”, and calls herself “a small-town girl”. |
| Grisham, 43, has kept a much lower profile than her predecessors, Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders. She never gave a televised press briefing, though she did make frequent appearances on the conservative Fox News channel. | Grisham, 43, has kept a much lower profile than her predecessors, Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders. She never gave a televised press briefing, though she did make frequent appearances on the conservative Fox News channel. |
| Grisham will return to the East Wing as Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokeswoman. | Grisham will return to the East Wing as Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokeswoman. |
| In a statement issued by the first lady’s office, Grisham said: “I continue to be honored to serve both the president and first lady in the administration. My replacements will be announced in the coming days and I will stay in the West Wing to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed.” | In a statement issued by the first lady’s office, Grisham said: “I continue to be honored to serve both the president and first lady in the administration. My replacements will be announced in the coming days and I will stay in the West Wing to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed.” |
| Melania Trump said: “I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the team in this new role. She has been a mainstay and true leader in the administration from even before day one, and I know she will excel as chief of staff.”Grisham replaces Lindsay Reynolds who, the statement said, resigned early this week to spend time with her family. | Melania Trump said: “I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the team in this new role. She has been a mainstay and true leader in the administration from even before day one, and I know she will excel as chief of staff.”Grisham replaces Lindsay Reynolds who, the statement said, resigned early this week to spend time with her family. |
| The Axios website reported last week that Meadows was seeking a new press secretary. | The Axios website reported last week that Meadows was seeking a new press secretary. |
| Grisham told Axios: “Sounds like more palace intrigue to me, but I’ve also been in quarantine. If true, how ironic that the press secretary would hear about being replaced in the press.” | Grisham told Axios: “Sounds like more palace intrigue to me, but I’ve also been in quarantine. If true, how ironic that the press secretary would hear about being replaced in the press.” |
| On Tuesday CNN reported that Alyssa Farah, the current Pentagon spokeswoman, will become the White House director of strategic communications, and Ben Williamson, a Meadows staffer, will become senior communications adviser. | On Tuesday CNN reported that Alyssa Farah, the current Pentagon spokeswoman, will become the White House director of strategic communications, and Ben Williamson, a Meadows staffer, will become senior communications adviser. |
| The new hires are likely to find their jobs challenging. As the ABC News chief White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl, told the Guardian recently: “We’ve had three White House press secretaries, we’ve had – I guess depends on how you count – three or four communications directors in the Trump White House, but in reality we’ve really only had one. | The new hires are likely to find their jobs challenging. As the ABC News chief White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl, told the Guardian recently: “We’ve had three White House press secretaries, we’ve had – I guess depends on how you count – three or four communications directors in the Trump White House, but in reality we’ve really only had one. |
| “Donald Trump has always been the press secretary, the spokesperson, the communications director for Donald Trump. That was true in 1994 when I first encountered him and it’s absolutely true in 2020.” | “Donald Trump has always been the press secretary, the spokesperson, the communications director for Donald Trump. That was true in 1994 when I first encountered him and it’s absolutely true in 2020.” |