Vladimir Ilyich Lenin said something quite profound many years ago. “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Anyone trying to keep track of politics in the year 2020 knows that Lenin was quite right.
For example, Donald Trump now has a new press secretary: Kayleigh McEnany. But she is just the latest new face in a sea of White House changes that have persisted throughout Trump’s entire presidency.
It’s almost impossible to keep track of all these changes. Fortunately, we’ve got the lowdown on everything you need to know about Kayleigh McEnany.
The South Has Risen Again
Who, exactly, is Kayleigh Mcenany? She is someone who has turned a humble beginning into an unprecedented opportunity for herself.
Originally, she was born and raised in sunny Tampa, Florida. She began making political connections as early as high school. Starting in high school and continuing into college, she interned for Tom Gallagher, Adam Putnam, and even George W. Bush!
It was during the Bush internship where she first began working in the White House Office of Media Affairs. She crafted media briefings–an interesting preview of her future career.
After that, she went to Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and studied briefly at Oxford before attending Harvard Law School. Along the way, she helped produce Mike Huckabee’s TV show and made her first (of many) Fox News appearances.
Musical Chairs
When you read the headlines, your first thought is probably, “Didn’t Donald Trump already get a new press secretary?”
The answer is yes, yes, and yes. His first secretary was the infamous Sean Spicer, known for hiding in the bushes and dancing on television. After that was Sarah Sanders, who was controversial but still actually gave press briefings.
Next was Stephanie Grisham, who was infamous for giving no regular news briefings at all. Now, Kayleigh McEnany has stepped up to the plate.
Only time will tell whether this press secretary actually holds any news briefings.
Ironic Political Origin
Given where she ended up, it’s ironic to consider McEnany’s political origins. Shortly after graduating from Harvard Law, she began contributing to CNN.
Donald Trump considers CNN one of many news networks that are unfriendly to him and part of his ever-expanding definition of “fake news.” However, McEnany got on Trump’s good side from the very beginning by defending the president and his policies.
From there, she became part of Trump’s campaign and quickly rose through the ranks.
Started From the Bottom
It didn’t take long for McEnany to ditch CNN for a new gig. And two days after she left that job, she was appointed as national spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention. This job kept her busy, but she found time to make controversial appearances on Fox and write a book. That book–The New American Revolution: The Making of a Populist Movement–touts Donald Trump as a revolutionary figure.
In 2019, she became a national press secretary for Trump. Now, she’s become the White House press secretary. And even her toughest critics must acknowledge that her career (from law school to CNN to the White House in only 4 years) is nothing short of meteoric.
COVID-19 Changed Everything
It’s an open secret that the role of White House Press Secretary has changed quite drastically. Why, then, is it not likely that McEnany will be leading news briefings anytime soon?
Simple: Donald Trump basically handles all of that these days. He leads daily press briefings about COVID-19. And, for better or for worse, he seems to take these briefings just as seriously as he takes his ongoing campaign rallies.
McEnany is no stranger to those rallies, and she has spent years defending Trump online, on TV, and at rallies. It seems likely that she was hired to continue defending Trump in a number of creative ways.
She’s A Fighter
Despite all of her accomplishments, Kayleigh McEnany is probably best known for a singular quality: she’s a fighter. She flocks to the ideas and people she thinks will lead the country in the right direction, and she fights for those ideals tooth and nail.
For instance, there is almost no platform she has not embraced to defend Trump. From casual Fox News appearances to fiery political rallies to an entire book about the Trump revolution, she’s been his staunchest defender.
In other words, it’s not that surprising that she became the White House Press Secretary. She’s been performing the chief responsibility–making the president look good–for nearly half a decade before getting the job!
Foot In Mouth Syndrome
Of course, those frequent media appearances have come at a cost. Despite being a professional communicator, Kayleigh McEnany seems to have some serious “foot in mouth syndrome.”
She took place in the “Birtherism” conspiracy theories about President Obama. Back in 2012, she sent out a tweet alleging that Obama was not actually born in the United States.
In addition, she appeared on Fox on February 25, 2020 to downplay concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19). She specifically said, “We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here, we will not see terrorism come here, and isn’t that refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President Obama?”
As of April 4, 2020, over 8,000 U.S. citizens have died from COVID-19.
Staying Power? It’s Anyone’s Guess
So, will Kayleigh McEnany be White House Press Secretary for a long time? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess.
Sean Spicer only lasted 182 days on the job. While Sarah Sanders made it nearly two years, Stephanie Grisham only had the gig for 281 days.
If McEnany can make it at least two years, she’ll set a record for the Trump presidency. However, if she leaves early, we can only imagine the next replacement is already lurking in the wings.