CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins criticized White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany in a tweet on Friday after McEnany referred to her as an “activist,” claiming that McEnany does not do her job.
McEnany made the remark after closing out Friday’s press conference by highlighting how the media and Democrats sought to delegitimize President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential victory.
“While in 2016, President Trump became the duly elected president. Many sought to undermine him, discredit him, de-legitimized him, and deny his victory,” McEnany said. “There were no calls for unity. There were no calls for healing. So while every legal vote is counted, let us not forget the inexcusable transition, or lack thereof that President Trump had to endure in 2016, and four years into his presidency.”
McEnany took questions from numerous reporters throughout the press conference but declined to call on Collins at the end.
“I don’t call on activists,” McEnany told Collins.
“I’m not an activist,” Collins claimed.
After the exchange, Collins took to Twitter about not being called on to ask questions.
“Appearing in her professional capacity, @PressSec takes only a handful of questions in her first briefing since Oct. 1,” Collins wrote. “Asked why can’t call on all reporters — given it’s been so long and there are not many of us due to social distancing — she called me ‘an activist.'”
Collins continued, “It’s understandable why someone who hasn’t done their job — taking questions from reporters — in weeks would confuse someone else doing theirs with activism.”
It’s understandable why someone who hasn’t done their job — taking questions from reporters — in weeks would confuse someone else doing theirs with activism.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 20, 2020
Collins, who has repeatedly criticized Trump administration officials for not wearing masks, came under scrutiny earlier this year after a video showed her taking her mask off inside the White House press briefing room after the press conference ended.
The Trump campaign wrote on Twitter: “CNN reporters like Kaitlin Collins obsess over masks when the cameras are on, but when they think they’re off, off comes their masks!”
CNN reporters like Kaitlin Collins obsess over masks when the cameras are on, but when they think they’re off, off comes their masks!pic.twitter.com/IpPSvgDqhc
— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) October 5, 2020
Excerpt of White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s remarks below:
I would say that there are real questions on mass mail-out voting. We have put those questions forward. And we’ve said this for the better part of a year, there was a bipartisan commission that talked about and identified the real potential for fraud with mass mail-in voting. Also, something that I would note is just we’ve talked a lot about transfer of power in the election. And it’s worth remembering that this president was never given an orderly transition of power. His presidency was never accepted.
In fact, before his election, we know Crossfire Hurricane was launched by Peter Stzrok to pursue a baseless allegations about the President’s ties with Russia, that’s before he was president trying to subvert the will of the American people. We know in August, Peter Stzrok wrote a text message about an insurance policy against a Trump presidency. Once again, trying to silence the voice of the American people in 2016.
We know in October that there was a FISA warrant taken out to spy on the Trump campaign. And then the American people spoke, and they spoke commandingly in electing President Trump, despite all of the odds. And what happened after he was elected? You had 70 lawmakers say we’re not coming to his inauguration, democratic lawmakers. You had Elizabeth Warren saying, “We’re going to attempt to obstruct the Trump transition by urging the Government Accountability Office to investigate the incoming Trump transition.”
In January of that year, you had President Obama have a by-the-book meeting, where they talked about the Logan Act, using that act to go after Lieutenant General Michael Flynn. Just before the inauguration, you had BuzzFeed promoting and publishing this bogus Steele dossier, that’s been widely debunked. And then for two years you had the basis Mueller investigation, which searched for collusion, found none, and exonerated President Trump.
While in 2016, President Trump became the duly elected president. Many sought to undermine him, discredit him, de-legitimized him, and deny his victory. There were no calls for unity. There were no calls for healing. So while every legal vote is counted, let us not forget the inexcusable transition, or lack thereof that President Trump had to endure in 2016, and four years into his presidency. Thank you everyone for the very good and substantive questions today.