MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough made it clear Friday that he was not happy with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Scarborough criticized McEnany for going ahead with Thursday’s press briefing after learning that Hope Hicks had tested positive for coronavirus — and for engaging in heated exchanges with White House reporters while not wearing a mask. (RELATED: ‘Unspeakably Vile’: Joe Scarborough Blasts Trump For Suggesting Biden Would ‘Hurt God’)
Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire joined “Morning Joe” to discuss the news that broke overnight — that in addition to Hicks, both President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for coronavirus.
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“Kayleigh McEnany was, we have now learned, notified of Hope Hicks’ positive diagnosis yesterday and later in the day still held a briefing with White House reporters,” Lemire said, adding, “And, of course, she was not wearing a mask.”
“Good lord. Are you kidding me?” Scarborough asked. “Are you kidding me?”
“Wait … Oh, my God,” cohost Mika Brzezinski added.
“Are you sure of that?” Scarborough pressed. “So she knew before that press conference where she didn’t wear a mask, in front of all of those reporters and had heated exchanges — she knew that she had been exposed to this disease?”
Brzezinski noted that McEnany would have also been aware at the time that the president had at least been exposed to coronavirus and she had been as well.
Lemire said again that McEnany had been briefed that Hicks was experiencing symptoms and had tested positive prior to taking the podium Thursday for the press briefing.
Fellow White House correspondent Jonathan Karl (ABC) questioned whether McEnany had known Hicks’ diagnosis prior to the press briefing.
We now know Hicks had symptoms on Wednesday night and tested positive yesterday morning. We also know she she had been with @PressSec.
My question for @PressSec: What did you know, when went into a room full of reporters for your briefing yesterday at 11:20am?
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) October 2, 2020
Karl later followed up as White House officials and McEnany herself responded, telling him that she had not been briefed on Hicks prior to the press briefing.
Three officials in the White House press office, on background, tell me @PressSec did not know Hicks had tested positive until after her briefing yesterday. I have asked them to put that on the record. https://t.co/6sPXV6gHSg
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) October 2, 2020
.@PressSec Kayleigh McEnany tells me she did NOT know Hope Hicks had tested positive until after her briefing yesterday.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) October 2, 2020