——–
We can now add New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman to the list of journalists who just figured out that Kayleigh McEnany is not to be trifled with.
McEnany, who is the White House press secretary, has quickly made a name for herself at the daily White House press briefings/gaggles as someone who takes her job very seriously, and as someone who has no time for the customary foolishiness often displayed by the White House press corps.
Earlier today, Haberman tweeted out a quote from McEnany in which the journalist alleged that she told White House reporters to “celebrate” President Trump in addition to asking policy-related questions:
.@PressSec calls for reporters to celebrate instead of just cover in gaggle: “The President's healthy. The Vice President's healthy and I think that's something all reporters should be celebrating and the American people as well."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 14, 2020
The problem with Haberman’s quote is that it was taken out of context, as McEnany confirmed in a tweet calling her out and including the actual context:
This tweet by a New York Times reporter is misleading.
I was TWICE asked a hypothetical about the health of the President and Vice President.
Full context of my quote below: https://t.co/Y8LPYYrf95 pic.twitter.com/ee1oXQtxbM
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) May 14, 2020
In other words, it was a throwaway statement not meant in a literal “let’s all celebrate Trump’s/Pence’s health during a contentious press briefing” kind of way.
Haberman, in turn, went bonkers in a series of tweets, and desperately clung to her original (and erroneous) interpretation of what McEnany said:
There is no context in which "celebrating" by reporters is part of our job. I'm sorry you don't understand that. https://t.co/zDDkQWWupV
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 14, 2020
GOP rapid response director Steve Guest also stepped in, but in his case he reminded Haberman that reporters have indeed “celebrated” presidents … quite literally:
I’m sorry… apparently some reporters didn’t get that memo.
Case in point, this pool report about Obama’s visit to WaPo. https://t.co/nJCy53AMDv pic.twitter.com/Q1GhFlDWMS
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 14, 2020
Like a poodle nipping at someone’s heels, Haberman snapped back, sticking by her original interpretation:
Then you should take that up with them. And I appreciate you’re merely doing your job and trying to reverse-engineer why what @PressSec said is informing reporters we should celebrate was justified. https://t.co/9OUP8pjXl6
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 14, 2020
… and then claiming she was taken out of context when she was not. https://t.co/JVDS1DTkz1
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 14, 2020
Other Twitter users, however, also reminded her that if we were to go by her interpretation, it still wouldn’t be true … because that whole “media celebrating presidents” thing has actually happened – except under a different administration, of course:
https://twitter.com/Aubinj1Jeffrey/status/1261001842286366720
On the other hand, the only time I can recall Trump being “celebrated” by the mainstream media is … when he was impeached last December:
— El Jefe (@ElJefeTulum) May 14, 2020
And there’s also this revealing bit of information about how Haberman was viewed by Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign team as a “very good” press ally who “tees up” stories on their behalf:
Is teeing up stories for Dems part of your job? DNC thought so. pic.twitter.com/NSICSXYYCT
— 100 Proof (@ChampionCapua) May 14, 2020
As of this writing, Haberman hasn’t put out another unhinged tweet in regards to McEnany’s remarks, but I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s quite defensive about being accused of taking Trump administration officials out of context. And understandably so – considering that she has quite literally been caught altering their quotes before.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member