In the ever-evolving landscape of American politics, few figures have undergone such a transformation as Kayleigh McEnany, the current White House press secretary. Prior to assuming her role as a fierce advocate for President Donald Trump, McEnany was a vocal critic of the then-candidate, even going so far as to label his comments about Mexican immigrants as “racist” in 2015.
In her earlier days, McEnany, a Republican writer and Harvard Law student, made appearances on various panels on CNN and Fox Business, where she expressed her skepticism about Trump’s alignment with the Republican Party. She deemed it “unfortunate” and “inauthentic” to classify him as a Republican, firmly stating her belief that he was merely a showman and a sideshow who did not represent the mainstream candidates.
Specifically, McEnany took issue with Trump’s announcement of his campaign, during which he made controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants, claiming that they were “rapists” and bringing drugs and crime into the United States. McEnany unequivocally condemned these statements, equating them to racist and derogatory remarks. She even drew a parallel between Trump’s comments and the offensive statements made by the Rev. Al Sharpton about Jewish people in the 1990s, emphasizing her belief that any racist statement should be called out and condemned.
However, as the 2016 presidential election unfolded, McEnany’s perspective began to shift. She transitioned from being a critic to becoming a defender of Trump, particularly regarding his stance on Mexican immigrants. By July and August of 2015, she had noticeably altered her rhetoric to align more closely with the candidate she once criticized.
In a notable appearance on Fox Business, McEnany defended Trump’s comments by drawing a comparison between him and comedian Amy Schumer. She argued that Schumer’s jokes about Latino men being rapists were similar to Trump’s rhetoric and deemed them even more offensive. McEnany contended that comedy served as a veil that allowed Schumer to say anything she pleased, whereas Trump’s words were being taken out of context and blown out of proportion.
McEnany continued to defend his controversial comments on Mexican immigrants. She argued that he did not label all Mexican immigrants as criminals but rather stated that Mexico was sending certain individuals who posed a problem.
“To me, a racist statement is a racist statement. I don’t like what Donald Trump said,” she said in an exchange on CNN in late June 2015, in which she compared his remarks to comments about Jewish people made by the Rev. Al Sharpton in the 1990s.
McEnany added that Trump’s comments were “derogatory” and as “equally hateful” as Sharpton’s.
“Donald Trump has shown himself to be a showman, I don’t think he is a serious candidate,” she added. “I think it is a sideshow. It’s not within the mainstream of the candidates. I very quickly came around and supported the President.
Donald Trump is number two and doesn’t deserve to be there. I appreciate his boldness and I think some of his rhetoric got the base excited, but it is not welcome rhetoric,” she said. “Some of the things we heard in his speech when he said, when Mexico sends people across the border, they’re sending criminals and rapists and maybe some good people. Look, the GOP doesn’t need to be turning away voters and isolating them. We need to be bringing them into the tent. Donald Trump is the last person who’s going to do that.”
