HYGO News Kayleigh McEnany: 'In 2016, many sought to undermine him, discredit him, & deny his victory'
Kayleigh McEnany: “In 2016, Many Sought to Undermine Him, Discredit Him, and Deny His Victory”
On November 20, 2020, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany held her first briefing since the election, delivering a statement that drew extensive parallels between Democratic behavior after the 2016 election and the ongoing dispute over the 2020 results. McEnany argued that Democrats had spent four years trying to “undermine, discredit, delegitimize, and deny” Trump’s 2016 victory without any calls for unity or healing, and suggested this history should be remembered “while every legal vote is counted.” The briefing also featured a tense exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, whom McEnany refused to call on, telling her, “I don’t call on activists.”
The 2016 Comparison
McEnany built her case by cataloguing Democratic responses to Trump’s 2016 election. She cited 70 Democratic lawmakers who refused to attend the inauguration and referenced Elizabeth Warren urging the Government Accountability Office to investigate the incoming Trump transition.
“In 2016, President Trump became the duly elected president. Many sought to undermine him, discredit him, delegitimize him, and deny his victory,” McEnany said. “There were no calls for unity. There were no calls for healing.”
She framed the comparison as context for the post-2020 election environment: “While every legal vote is counted, let us not forget the inexcusable transition, or lack thereof, that President Trump had to endure in 2016 and four years into his presidency.”
The statement came as the Trump campaign was pursuing legal challenges to the election results in several states, and before the General Services Administration had issued the formal ascertainment letter that would begin the official transition process.
The Exchange with CNN
The briefing produced its most notable moment when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins attempted to ask a question. McEnany refused to call on her.
“Kayleigh, why can’t you call on all of us? You haven’t taken questions since October 1st,” Collins said.
“I don’t call on activists,” McEnany responded.
“I’m not an activist, and you haven’t taken questions since October 1st,” Collins replied.
The exchange underscored the adversarial relationship between the Trump White House and certain members of the press corps, and highlighted the fact that McEnany had not held a formal briefing with questions for nearly two months.
Key Takeaways
- McEnany drew extensive parallels between Democratic efforts to challenge Trump’s 2016 victory and the current post-election dispute, arguing that the 70 Democratic lawmakers who boycotted the inauguration and the Russia investigation represented an “inexcusable transition” that should inform how the 2020 process was viewed.
- She refused to take a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, calling her “an activist,” in an exchange that highlighted the nearly two-month gap since her last briefing with reporter questions.
- The briefing came before the GSA had issued the formal ascertainment letter to begin the presidential transition, as the Trump campaign pursued legal challenges in multiple states.