Fox News reporter John Roberts repeatedly accused the Trump administration of refusing to definitively denounce white supremacy during Thursday’s White House press briefing. After Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany pushed back against’s Roberts’ “contrived” “narrative” and read numerous quotes from President Donald Trump denouncing white supremacy, Roberts then took to Fox News airwaves to complain further about the White House’s alleged dodging of the question and voiced his frustration with their apparent inappropriate “blame” of the media.
“People on Twitter who were hammering me for asking that question, I don’t care!” Roberts said on Fox airwaves, clearly enraged. He added, “Stop deflecting, stop blaming the media. I’m tired of it!”
During the press briefing, Roberts asked McEnany, “I’d like to ask you for a definitive and declarative statement without ambiguity or deflection: As the person who speaks for the president, does the president denounce white supremacism and groups that espouse it in all their forms?”
“This has been answered yesterday by the president himself, the day before by the president himself; on the debate stage, the president was asked this, he said ‘sure’ three times; yesterday he was point-blank asked, ‘Do you denounce white supremacy,’ he said, ‘I’ve always denounced any form of that,” the press secretary responded.
“I can go back for you,” McEnany continued, recalling more quotes from Trump denouncing white supremacy.
Roberts, however, was not satisfied and accused the administration of dodging his question. “Can you, naming it, make a declarative statement that the president denounces [white supremacy]?” asked the reporter.
“I just did,” McEnany insisted. ” … You’re contriving a storyline and a narrative … and if you need to see them [Trump’s quotes] in writing, I will put them in an email.”
WATCH:
Struggle session pic.twitter.com/nNzrOscDs5
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 1, 2020
“People on Twitter who were hammering me for asking that question, I don’t care!” an angry Roberts later said on Fox News. “It’s a question that needs to be asked.”
“Stop deflecting, stop blaming the media,” he added. “I’m tired of it.”
WATCH:
This is really wild pic.twitter.com/s3SST25Q68
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 1, 2020
As highlighted by McEnany, Trump did denounce white supremacy during Tuesday night’s first 2020 presidential debate. Here’s the transcript:
[Debate moderator Chris] Wallace: “You have repeatedly criticized the Vice President for not specifically calling out Antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacist and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these cities. As we’ve seen in Kenosha and as we’ve seen in Portland.”
Trump: “Sure I’m willing to do that.”
[Democratic nominee Joe] Biden: “Then do it.”
Wallace: “Go ahead, sir.”
Trump: “I would say, I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing not from the right.”
Wallace: “So what are you saying?”
Trump: “I’m willing to do anything — I want to see peace.”
Wallace: “Then do it, sir.”
Biden: “Say it. Do it. Say it.”
Trump: “Do you want to call them — what do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name. Go ahead, who would you like me to condemn?”
Wallace: “White supremacists and right wing militias.”
Biden: “Proud boys.”
Trump: “Proud boys, stand back and stand by…”
WATCH McEnany’s comments during Thursday’s press conference relevant to the topic of white supremacy:
Press Sec McEnany FIRES BACK at media: 'It's quite funny that the media goes haywire about interrupting in debates then chooses to pursue that very same tactic'
Posted by Ben Shapiro on Thursday, October 1, 2020