Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany confusingly says she once criticized Trump because she was 'watching CNN'

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
(Image credit: WH.gov)

In 2015, current White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany criticized then-candidate Donald Trump over comments he made about Mexican immigrants, words she now blames … on watching CNN? In her session with the press on Friday, McEnany was asked if she still believes Trump's language was "racist" and "hateful," as she'd said it was at the time.

"I'm actually glad you asked that, because for about the first four weeks of the election I was watching CNN," said McEnany, who was a Harvard student and Republican writer in 2015. "I was naïvely believing some of the headlines that I saw on CNN."

McEnany's response to the question was confusing, seeing as her comments had been made in response to Trump's actual, recorded campaign kick-off speech, in which he infamously made generalized slurs about Mexican immigrants being "rapists." CNN headlines, while they might have characterized his speech, did nothing to change the actual words.

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Pressed to clarify if she was "walking back" her comments, McEnany said: "I support this president, there is no questioning that. So honored to work for him." Watch below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.