White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany conducted a clinic in handling a mainstream media desperate to shift focus away from leftwing violence in Democrat-led cities.
The main story over the weekend concerned an Antifa supporter in Portland who was arrested for shooting and killing Patriot Prayer’s Aaron ‘Jay’ Danielson, a supporter of President Trump, over the weekend.
Instead of asking about that, one reporter asked McEnany about a pro-Trump “caravan” that drove through Portland.
He claimed a video shows Trump supporters “shooting paintballs,” as the best example they could come up with about allegedly violent Trump supporters.
“What about the video of them shooting paintballs at people … is that patriotic activity?” the reporter asked, seemingly drawing an equivalence between that and murder.
“I don’t think the president has seen that video, nor have I,” McEnany replied.
And that’s when the beatdown commenced.
Kayleigh McEnany Showed No Mercy To Biased Reporter
“But if you’re going to ask about paintballs, it’s incredible that for 90 days I’ve stood at this podium talking about officers who have lasers flashed in their eyes in an attempt to blind them, commercial-grade fireworks being thrown at them,” she fired back.
“A church right out here burning down, the people that were harassed and yelled at, Senator Rand Paul, Dan Bongino right out here and you’re going to ask me about a paintball video when in fact, for 90 days we’ve seen horrific, horrific violence by Antifa, a radical anarchist organization, you’re going to ask me about a paintball video I have yet to see and neither has the president?” a clearly annoyed McEnany continued.
You must watch the video to do McEnany’s performance any justice.
Kayleigh McEnany to reporter: “For 90 days I’ve stood at this podium talking about officers who have had lasers flashed in their eyes… the people that were harassed & yelled at — Sen. @RandPaul, @DBongino right out here — & you’re going to ask me about a paintball video?” pic.twitter.com/CZwFqKge20
— The Hill (@thehill) August 31, 2020
RELATED: Video, Court Documents Suggest Kenosha Shooting May Have Been Self-Defense
The Media is Blind to the Violence
To think you have a legitimate argument with the ‘paintball as instigator’ angle you’d have to be willfully ignorant or physically blind to everything that has been going on in places like Kenosha, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Portland.
You’d have to ignore the aforementioned murder of a Trump supporter not only in Portland, but another in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last month.
You’d have to ignore United States senators and black lawmakers being accosted, harassed, and threatened right outside the White House.
You’d have to ignore mock executions of the President of the United States.
And, of course, the months and months of rioting, looting, and arsons being conducted by ‘fiery but peaceful protesters’ leftists.
But sure, paintballs are the real problem.
I’m not sure many in WH press corps are capable of shame at this point, but that sure sounds like shameful silence at the end.
“I’ll leave you with this: that’s like the arsonists blaming the firefighter.” – @PressSec pic.twitter.com/BPYy6Ka4pT
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) August 31, 2020
RELATED: Kenosha Protest Leader: ‘If You Kill One Of Us, It’s Time For Us To Kill One Of Yours’
McEnany Obliterates the Democrats
McEnany wasn’t finished there – not by a long shot.
She addressed the brand new Democrat talking points on violence – talking points so divergent from their previous stance that they could only come after seeing how it is affecting their poll numbers.
The Press Secretary ran down a myriad of examples of those on the left downplaying the violence – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) saying those destroying property “will do what they do,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) saying Antifa violence is “a myth,” and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) calling for “unrest in the streets.”
And now they try their best to blame President Trump.
“So now all of a sudden ninety days later, I from this podium have talked about law and order, the President has talked about law and order repeatedly but because the polling has shifted … now it’s time for the Democrats to deny what they said previously and all of a sudden focus on law and order,” McEnany scoffed.
“I’ll leave you with this: That’s like the arsonist blaming the firefighter,” she said, walking off.
