WATCH What Happened When Then-CNN Contributors Jen Psaki and Kayleigh McEnany Faced Off Over Trump’s Muslim Ban
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and her predecessor, former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany faced off in a panel segment during the early days of the Trump administration, debating then-President Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban.
On Tuesday, Psaki spoke with surprising warmth about her time sharing a green room with McEnany when they both were CNN contributors. As part of her response to a question about McEnany’s new role as Fox News contributor, Psaki told reporters that “Like many Americans, we disagree on political issues, but we talked about our families, our spouses, sports, all sorts of things in the green room, and I certainly wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
In March of 2017, before McEnany’s stint in Trump’s White House, she and Psaki appeared on a panel together to debate one of Trump’s attempts to get his Muslim ban past the courts with what he then described as a “watered down” version of the “total and complete shutdown” he campaigned on.
On the March 16 edition of At This Hour, host Kate Bolduan turned to McEnany and asked her about a federal court ruling against the new version of the ban, saying ” the president last night, he called it a watered-down version, the revised version, a watered-down version. Does that imply two things, one, he thinks it’s less effective, and two, the arguments against the first ban still hold against the second?”
McEnany remarked that the version in question “was put together with a lot of thought and effort. So I don’t think it matters if President Trump says it was watered down or not.”
When it was her turn to speak, Psaki told Bolduan “I don’t think the intention of President Trump or his team is unclear here. They want to prevent individuals from Muslim majority countries from entering the United States, many of whom would obviously be Muslim. That’s what the judges took issue with.”
In the 4-box, McEnany listened, and later in the segment, even nodded in agreement with Psaki when she talked about the challenges Trump was then facing with his attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
At Tuesday’s presser, Psaki left open the possibility she might reunite with McEnany on Fox News, telling reporters “Sure, I’ve done Fox News Sunday twice now. I’m happy to go on a range of shows.”
Watch the clip above via CNN.
