Who Is Kayleigh McEnany? Trump’s New Press Secretary Has History Of Making Controversial Comments

President Trump’s new press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has a history of making controversial comments, appearing frequently on cable news in the past few years to defend the White House.

On Feb. 25, for example, McEnany downplayed the global coronavirus outbreak on Fox News.

“We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here,” McEnany said. “Isn’t it refreshing when contrasting [the Trump administration’s public health efforts] with the awful presidency of President Obama.”

McEnany has also attacked the media and claimed that Trump has never told a lie.

"He doesn't lie," McEnany said on CNN in August. "He doesn't lie. Guess who lies, the press lies."

In addition, she has promoted birther conspiracy theories that former President Obama was not an American citizen. In one tweet, she alludes to a demonstrably false idea that Obama was born in Kenya.

McEnany, 31, has previously worked with Trump, Fox News and has a law degree.

The Florida native had been serving as national press secretary for the Trump 2020 presidential campaign since February 2019. After graduating from Georgetown University, she worked at Fox News, where she was a producer on a news program featuring former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. She later attended the University of Miami School of Law and then transferred to Harvard Law School, receiving her J.D. in 2017.

While at Harvard Law School, she frequently appeared on CNN. In August 2017, she was appointed as the national spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. Her husband is professional baseball pitcher Sean Gilmartin.

McEnany replaces press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who had served for just nine months and did not hold any press briefings while in the position. Grisham frequently appeared on Fox News to defend Trump administration policies.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with the media, frequently using the term “fake news” to describe press reports he believes are inaccurate or unflattering. Trump has called the media the “enemy of the people.”