McEnany: 'I'm a little dismayed' by lack of questions about Americans killed over the weekend

The press secretary reprimanded the briefing room after fielding a half-dozen questions about the president's NASCAR comments, and none about the hundreds of Americans shot in major cities this weekend

By Sophie Mann

Published: July 6, 2020 1:27pm

Updated: July 6, 2020 4:27pm

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday admonished the briefing room following a question-and-answer session during which the majority of reporters chose to focus on a tweet the president earlier in the day about the weeks-old NASCAR confederate flag incident.

McEnany wondered aloud why the journalists opted not to focus on the hundreds of Americans who were shot and killed this weekend in major cities, including five children.

NBC's Peter Alexander began the round by asking why the president supports flying the Confederate flag, in reference to a tweet sent by the president in the morning.

McEnany responded that the question was a mischaracterization of the message's intent, which was to point out that the media's rush to judgment about the NASCAR incident's status as a hate crime was harmful and divisive to Americans.

One reporter asked why NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace should "apologize," per POTUS's tweet. After the FBI determined that the rope hanging in Wallace's garage was not, as first suspected, a noose, but rather a door pull fastened to the garage in 2019, Wallace appeared on Don Lemon's show and said this:

"It was a noose. Whether tied in 2019 or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn't directed at me but somebody tied a noose. That's what I'm saying."

The press secretary repeatedly told the room that the president "has not given an opinion one way or another" on the issue of whether NASCAR should have banned the flag from their sport.

One reporter asked whether the president thinks the flag should be flown in Washington, D.C.

McEnany closed her briefing by telling the White House correspondents that she was "a little dismayed" by their questions of the day.

"I was asked probably 12 questions about the confederate flag, this president is about action and I'm a little dismayed that I didn't receive one question about the deaths in this country over this weekend. ... I didn't receive one question about five children who were killed," said the secretary.