Inside Kayleigh McEnany's New TV Job
It looks like Kayleigh McEnany has found a job following her role as the White House press secretary under Donald Trump. Fox News announced on March 2, 2021 that McEnany would be joining its team. "It is my distinct pleasure today to welcome Kayleigh McEnany to the Fox family. We will be seeing much more of her in the future," Fox host Harris Faulkner said, according to Fox News.
The New York Times reported that prior to being named press secretary in April 2020, McEnany worked at CNN, proving to be one of Trump's few supporters on that network. After Trump lost the election to President Joe Biden, there was concern about where McEnany would go next. As The Independent pointed out, under other administrations, press secretaries could take their pick from coveted positions after stepping away from the White House. But Trump's contentious presidency, plus McEnany's often-criticised claim that she would "never lie" to the press, left her in a precarious position.
In fact, as the Daily Beast notes, Fox News itself waffled around with its decision about McEnany for several weeks. While the network finally did hire her, there are reports that insiders are unhappy about it.
Kayleigh McEnany is a hit with the Fox New audience
After Fox News broke the information that Kayleigh McEnany was hired following her time at the White House, Fox insiders spoke with the Daily Beast and expressed disappointment, especially since there have been recent job cuts at Fox. However, what McEnany will be doing at Fox News is not immediately clear, as NBC noted.
"It's upsetting," a current Fox News insider told The Daily Beast. "So many good people are out of a job now and I'm sure she'll get a huge contract." However, the insider also said that Fox's decision to take on McEnany makes sense. "Sarah Sanders just left to run for governor of Arkansas and our audience loves Kayleigh."
But it's not just the network's audience who are fans of McEnany, as was made clear in a Fox News-written article covering the announcement of her hiring: "McEnany quickly emerged as a hero to conservatives when she replaced Stephanie Grisham as White House press secretary," wrote Brian Flood and contributor Jeff Field. The writers also claimed, "She brought a new passion to the briefing room as she came armed with facts and information that regularly helped expose hypocrisy among the media. She didn't shy away from confrontation and exceled at delivering the president's messaging."
Well, it certainly seems like she landed at the right place.