Kayleigh McEnany, during first briefing as White House press secretary, pledges to ‘never lie
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, during her first official briefing, promised that she "will never lie" to the press in her new role.
McEnany took the podium for the first time Friday, after being tapped as White House press secretary from her post as national spokeswoman for President Trump's re-election campaign earlier this month.
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"I will never lie to you," McEnany told reporters. "You have my word on that."
McEnany was responding to a question from a reporter on honesty in the role as press secretary. A variation of that question has been traditionally asked of new press secretaries
The press briefing on Friday was the first in over a year. Stephanie Grisham, who held the post before McEnany, and who has since returned to first lady Melania Trump's office as chief of staff and spokeswoman, did not ever take the podium or hold a press briefing.
McEnany told reporters that she planned to resume holding in-person press briefings from the James S. Brady briefing room from the White House during her tenure.
McEnany said that she and the new White House press and communications teams were figuring out how they should best disseminate information and decide "what is the best mode for the public to receive information at this time."
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McEnany was asked what "access" she had to the president, to which she responded that she is with him for "almost the entire day."
"I was just with him. I think my staff can attest to the fact that they have a very hard time finding me," she said. "I'm always with him in the Oval Office."
She added: "It is my mission to bring you the mindset of the president so that so that the president gets fair and accurate reporting, and the American people get fair and accurate information.”
McEnany seemed to signal that the White House would scale back on their daily coronavirus task force briefings, which were regularly led by the president himself, and Vice President Pence, with appearances from Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci to provide public health information.
"The task force meets regularly, and I go to those meetings," McEnany said, adding that Birx is constantly "meticulously reviewing the data in granular details."
"Those meetings are still ongoing. Rest assured we want a safe reopening so we are prioritizing the health of the American people," she said.
McEnany added that Birx and Fauci have "been on the airwaves" and touted their "incredible" work throughout the coronavirus crisis.
"They have done a great service to this country," McEnany said, noting that while the president will not deliver his briefings each day that "he is the most accessible president in history."
McEnany went on to say that the country is now in a "reopening phase" and doubled-down on the president's directive for governor's to decide what is best for their states.
"The president is resolute in saying that the states take the lead here," she said. "This president has always sided on the side of data -- which is why he has encouraged all states to follow data-driven guidelines."
She added: "This president has one priority and that is the safety and wellbeing of American lives."
The shakeup in the press shop came in the first weeks of new chief of staff Mark Meadow’s tenure.
Meadows brought Alyssa Farah to join the White House as director of strategic communications, leaving her previous post as press secretary for the Department of Defense.
The White House also announced that Ben Williamson, who just came over to the White House with Meadows as a senior adviser, will work with McEnany and Farah as senior communications adviser. Williamson was Meadows’ communications director during his time on Capitol Hill.
