‘An Outrageous Lie’: Stephanie Grisham Called Out For Claiming Obama Staff Left Mean Notes in White House
Win McNamee/Getty Images
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham faced stiff backlash for claiming that President Barack Obama‘s press staff left nasty notes for the incoming administration of President Donald Trump, which former Obama officials slammed as a “bald-faced” and “outrageous” lie.
Grisham has yet to hold a press briefing since taking over for Sarah Huckabee Sanders, but on Tuesday, she managed to make a sort of news anyway. According to CNN’s Abby Phillip, Grisham claimed that Trump’s press staff found nasty notes at their desks that were left by the Obama press shop.
“WH Press Sec Stephanie Grisham claims Obama aides left ‘you will fail” notes in offices for Trump aides: ‘We came into the WH, I’ll tell you something. Every office was filled with Obama books and we had notes left behind that said ‘you will fail,’ ‘you aren’t going to make it,’” Phillip wrote on Twitter.
WH Press Sec Stephanie Grisham claims Obama aides left ‘you will fail” notes in offices for Trump aides: “We came into the WH, I’ll tell you something. Every office was filled with Obama books and we had notes left behind that said ‘you will fail,’ ‘you aren’t going to make it,’”
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) November 19, 2019
The claim was met with skepticism even by the reporter herself. “If true, you have to wonder why no one has ever mentioned it before…” Phillip wrote, then said it seemed “unlikely” that no one had kept the notes. Other journalists were equally dubious.
If true, you have to wonder why no one has ever mentioned it before… https://t.co/nkVsTxNMHx
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) November 19, 2019
Seems unlikely! https://t.co/PJh98a5Idt
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) November 19, 2019
How is this first it’s been told of? https://t.co/zsmidROEU0
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 19, 2019
Interesting. Over the past 2.5 years I’ve heard no end of complaints from Trump officials about their Obama predecessors but never has this remarkable detail been mentioned. Would love to see a copy of these “you will fail” notes. https://t.co/BdvIHXaYaq
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) November 19, 2019
In short order, former Obama officials like Susan Rice were calling Grisham out.
This is another bald faced lie. https://t.co/E1U9KtdL77
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) November 19, 2019
This is an outrageous lie. I know. I handed over the nuclear office at the NSC. Shameless and disgusting. @PressSec should be fired. https://t.co/6sXIqMnmJY
— Jon B. Wolfsthal – aka a Globalist (@JBWolfsthal) November 19, 2019
This is another bald faced lie. https://t.co/E1U9KtdL77
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) November 19, 2019
This is absolutely not true.
Obama repeatedly and publicly praised Bush cooperation during 2009 transition, and pledged we would provide same cooperation to whoever followed us. And that’s what we did.
If Grisham is correct, why has it taken 3 years to come out? https://t.co/QpN4JAGxhq
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) November 19, 2019
Utterly false.
In fact, the day after the election, when we were all shell-shocked, our marching orders from the President were clear: we would manage the transition with professionalism and grace. Because democracy comes first. I am proud of that. https://t.co/6ZHKdeqLgd— Cecilia Muñoz (@cecmunoz) November 19, 2019
This is a lie. If this happened I also don’t think the entire Trump staff would wait 3 years to tell us. Sad to see the WH press secretary fall this far https://t.co/4JMlk5Ok2J
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) November 19, 2019
Grisham proceeded to nominally walk back her claim to NBC’s Hallie Jackson.
“Press Sec., asked about this tweet: ‘I certainly wasn’t implying every office had that issue…” Adds: “I was talking specifically about our experience in the lower press office – nowhere else. I don’t know why everyone is so sensitive!'” Jackson wrote.
“Stephanie Grisham also tells NBC: ‘In fact, I had a lovely note left for me in the East Wing, and I tracked the woman down and thanked her.'” Jackson added.
Stephanie Grisham also tells NBC: “In fact, I had a lovely note left for me in the East Wing, and I tracked the woman down and thanked her.”
— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) November 19, 2019
Grisham’s mini-kerfuffle occurred as key witnesses testified in the impeachment inquiry into Trump Tuesday morning.
