Kayleigh McEnany Called Out By Reporters for Doing Cable News Hits from Trump 2020 HQ: In Another WH, ‘This Would Be a Scandal’

Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany made the media rounds on Tuesday morning, appearing on Fox News and MSNBC to promote President Donald Trump and deride his political opponent Joe Biden. But in both instances, she was introduced as “Trump 2020 Senior Advisor” in addition to her White House role by Sandra Smith and Hallie Jackson respectively. This dual role — along with her appearance from a Trump Campaign headquarters insert studio — has raised a few journalistic eyebrows along the way.

Kaitlan Collins first brought attention to the possible conflict by citing her CNN colleague Betsy Klein who was told McEnany was appearing on television politicking for President Trump “in her personal capacity as a private citizen.”

The Hatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a Federal law, its main provision of which prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in some forms of political activity. The President and Vice President are exempted from this law. So McEnany’s clear campaign appearance, while under the gainful employ of the Executive branch of government? Questions are raised, like this from CNN’s Vivian Salama:

In other words, the use of White Hosue resources, including staff, in a purely political capacity is illegal. The goal of ethical law known as the Hatch Act is to simply prevent the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Holding the Republican National Convention at the White House, for example, flouts political norms as does a working White House employee, like McEnany, to use her platform to campaign for the commander in chief is considered similar.

These are the issues behind the raised eyebrows, which in this instance, were expressed on Twitter. To wit:

https://twitter.com/dodgerman/status/1321123334004875264?s=20

https://twitter.com/russbengtson/status/1321136255191650311?s=20