McEnany on Psaki’s performance: I didn’t have to ‘circle back’ because Trump gave me access

Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday she didn’t need to a “ton of circling back” with reporters because of the access afforded her by former President Donald Trump, in a reference to successor Jen Psaki’s go-to line when she can’t directly answer questions.

Reacting to a “Fox & Friends” montage of Psaki saying she would “circle back” with various reporters during her six weeks with the Biden White House, McEnany said she had the advantage of knowing where Trump stood on issues.

“I wish Jen Psaki all the best, it is a very hard job but that being said, we took great pains in our administration to do hours and hours of research beforehand, days sometimes,” she said.

“I always knew where my boss stood. Unlike other press secretaries who maybe didn’t have walk-in privileges, I could walk in at any time … I always knew where his head was at, so I didn’t have to a ton of circling back because President Trump gave a lot of access to me.”

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Psaki has held daily press conferences after the Trump White House largely eschewed the practice over McEnany’s term, but Trump was known for his openness with the press.

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McEnany also took a dig at President Biden for staying in the “basement” and avoiding press questions. While Biden has occasionally answered questions shouted at him after formal remarks, he has gone 44 days without holding a solo press conference, a record for modern presidents.

“It’s exactly like the campaign. That was his strategy all along,” said McEnany, a new Fox News analyst. 

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“Hide in the basement, don’t talk to the American people … That’s what President Trump offered. He gave transparency. He was always willing to take questions, always willing to go to the podium, always willing to stop on his way to the helicopter. Transparency is what he offered, and Joe Biden vowed transparency. Now he’s set a 100-year record for not going to the podium.”