The Fallout Between Donald Trump And Kayleigh McEnany Explained
It doesn't take much to go from a golden child to public enemy number one in Donald Trump's world. Kayleigh McEnany discovered that after hanging up her White House press secretary boots earned her a sneering nickname and a place on the former POTUS' hit list.
It was a meteoric fall from grace. In August 2020 McEnany and Donald were making sweet, sweet headlines together. McEnany's RNC speech had everybody talking about their relationship as she extolled the virtues of her new boss' warm and fuzzy side. McEnany revealed she had tested positive for the BRCAII genetic mutation at 21 and, to eliminate her risk of cancer, underwent a double mastectomy. Showing how tender and caring Donald is, McEnany recalled how Ivanka Trump reached out to her post-surgery, followed by the great man himself.
"Days later, as I recovered, my phone rang. It was President Trump calling to check on me," McEnany shared. "I was blown away. Here was the leader of the free world caring about me. Though I didn't personally know the president at the time, I know him well now. I can tell you that this president loves the American people, stands by Americans with preexisting conditions, and supports working moms." Fact check: Trump's administration fought to end the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would have also ended medical coverage of preexisting conditions, per Mother Jones. Still, McEnany would soon learn that telling whoppers often results in backlash, especially when they're in Donald Trump's name.
Unreciprocated loyalty
Given Donald Trump's ever-revolving confidante door, it was only a matter of time before Kayleigh McEnany followed the fate of Michael Cohen, Anthony Scaramucci, Omarosa Manigault Newman, and her press secretary predecessor, Stephanie Grisham, among countless others. When McEnany stepped down in January 2021, it initially looked like she might be lucky enough to join the administration survivor anomaly Kellyanne Conway ranks. However, despite her unwavering loyalty, McEnany eventually came under Trump's fire.
Forty-five took great umbrage at the now-Fox host's take on his popularity ratings during an on-air segment. "Kayleigh 'Milktoast' McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on FoxNews. I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up," Trump ranted on Truth Social in May 2023. "The RINOS & Globalists can have her. FoxNews should only use REAL Stars!!!" He concluded. For those not up on their bizarre insults, according to Collins Dictionary, "Milktoast" is a "variant spelling" of "Milquetoast," which means "a meek, submissive, or timid person."
The outburst caused Fox News commentator and Washington Post columnist Marc Theissen to accuse Trump of being "completely unhinged" and "losing control." Still, in a bid to live up to her new nickname, perhaps, McEnany continued to fangirl over Trump in the face of adversity. In June 2023, she gushed on Fox News about her former boss' charm and unique touch with the common people, dragging up an old tried and tested Trump narrative about once reducing fishermen in Maine to tears of gratitude.
From trusted spokesperson to burned milktoast
Kayleigh McEnany's future with Donald Trump had appeared bright before being relegated to "Milktoast" status. Fox News once hailed McEnany as the "new superstar of the podium," praising her battles against the "left-wing media." McEnany had put up a valiant fight until the end of her tenure, struggling to distance Trump from the Capitol riots during her final press conference on January 7.
She staunchly defended Trump during her first interview post-White House, explaining it was her Christian duty to do so. "I knew I needed to go to the podium," McEnany told Fox News of her last stand as press secretary. "I knew that's what Christ would want me to do. I knew it's what, as a woman of faith, I needed to do."
However, McEnany felt the full weight of the Trump administration's ire in December 2022, ironically, over the Capital insurrections. In her January 6 committee testimony, Trump's former communications director, Alyssa Farah Griffin, became embroiled in a battle of the Christian women as she branded McEnany a turncoat and coward for ditching the sinking ship. "I am a Christian woman," Griffin said, "so I will say this. Kayleigh is a liar and an opportunist." She claimed McEnany valued her cushy post-Trump lifestyle more than "telling the truth to the American public."