Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump surprised observers Tuesday night when he delivered a scathing rant criticizing his “milktoast” former press secretary and current Fox News contributor Kayleigh McEnany.
The source of Trump’s ire was poll numbers which McEnany claimed during a guest appearance with Jesse Watters showed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was “closing the gap” in the race for the GOP nomination.
A vast majority of polls show nothing of the sort and if they did, it’d be like ‘closing the gap’ on the Grand Canyon.
Trump though, didn’t appreciate the suggestion and absolutely leveled one of his most fierce defenders during his time in office.
“Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’ McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on Fox News,” he wrote on his Truth Social media platform. “I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up.”
“She knew the number was corrected upwards by the group that did the poll,” he claimed. “The RINOS & Globalists can have her. Fox News should only use REAL Stars!!!”
Trump Not Pleased With Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’ McEnany
Trump’s misspelling of milquetoast, whether intentional or not, is hilarious. Almost as funny as that time he called King Charles III the “Prince of Whales.”
Or used the term Liddle’ with that specially added apostrophe.
Numerous conservative commentators rushed to McEnany’s defense, especially supporters of DeSantis, noting that she served as one of Trump’s biggest defenders during his first term in office.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade called the verbal attack “insane.”
“She – was one of the best press secretaries ever,” he said. “She was fantastic, but she’s an analyst now. She doesn’t work for any campaign.”
Brian @Kilmeade defends @KayleighMcEnany after Trump trashes her on Truth Social and calls her “milktoast”: “Attacking Kayleigh McEnany is insane. She’s–was one of the best press secretaries ever…She was fantastic, but she’s an analyst now. She doesn’t work for any campaign.” pic.twitter.com/ABJ9ymXy6f
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 31, 2023
‘The Rubin Report’ host Dave Rubin referred to the comments as “unhinged” and “sick.”
“The sickest part of Trump’s latest unhinged meltdown is that @kayleighmcenany was not only Trump’s biggest defender but also an absolute star of the administration,” he said. “Going up against hostile press every day with nothing but class.”
“Even the diehards can’t defend this,” he added.
But the ‘diehards’ are defending it.
Why? Because prior to becoming his press secretary McEnany, like many in Trump’s circle it seems, wasn’t his biggest supporter. In appearances on both CNN and Fox Business, she alternately said it was “unfortunate” and “inauthentic” to call him a Republican.
In 2015, she even compared his comments about Mexico not sending their best illegal immigrants to Al Sharpton and said the remarks were “racist.”
“To me, a racist statement is a racist statement. I don’t like what Donald Trump said,” she said.
No. Wrong again. @kayleighmcenany is and always has been an opportunist. She said the most vile things about Trump & then saw him as a way to get rich.
If being a backstabbing witch is how you court suburban women, then Maybe she’s your hussy of choice.
I prefer loyal women.👇🏻 https://t.co/TrJVGjwavq pic.twitter.com/7xRRiqllVc
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 31, 2023
Some Trump supporters felt the outrage over his remarks was a little overblown.
Brenden Dilley, a podcast host and 2018 Arizona congressional candidate, pointed out that most people will remember gas prices and higher paychecks when it comes time to vote, not Kayleigh McEnany’s hurt feelings.
“Imagine believing that voters are going to give up Trump gas prices, Trump inflation numbers, job numbers, border security, and foreign policy… Because he made fun of Kayleigh McEnany,” he wrote.
With that said McEnany’s negative comments about Trump were well in the past. If he can forgive JD Vance, he can forgive those remarks.
McEnany has been a favorite of conservatives for the way she fended off liberal media attacks against President Trump. Popular podcast host Joe Rogan described her as “a f***ing assassin” and compared her to Michael Jordan as the “best ever.”
During a podcast last August, Rogan admitted the job of White House press secretary is “a weird job” to begin with and said the “only one that was good at it” was McEnany.
“That lady was a f***ing assassin,” he gushed. “That lady had like binders with footnotes and anyone would say some shit, ‘Well, that’s interesting, because actually, CNN said this.’ And she would like, quote it back to them and stuff it in their face.”
“That lady was a f**king assassin,” Joe Rogan raves about Kayleigh McEnany. pic.twitter.com/7a7ywRAKjU
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 29, 2022
Describing the same aforementioned poll, McEnany pointed out that Trump was “hugely ahead” in his effort to beat DeSantis and that any effort to portray the numbers as closing was “just their (Team DeSantis) argument.”