Fox Business’ McDowell Battles Trump Spox on WH Comms: It’s Been ‘Haphazard and Ham-Handed’

After a week of blatant shilling for the White House, Mornings With Maria pushed back somewhat against the administration Friday — with the eponymous host out for the day and Dagen McDowell filling in.

McDowell, Friday, pressed White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley on the administration’s messaging as it relates to trade. As part of her questioning, McDowell played a clip of former Reagan White House official Ed Rollins criticizing the comms shop — claiming the message on trade has been muddled. Gidley hit back.

“You can’t be on outside of this building and make accusations about the way we do things on the inside when you have no idea of what’s actually going on,” Gidley said.

McDowell wasn’t even remotely on board with Gidley’s premise that, as an outsider, she shouldn’t be allowed to critique the White House.

“I am the skunk at picnic. I don’t know what’s going on,” McDowell said. But, she added, “being a business reporter for 25 years, I watch how the messaging has been on trade — which is so critical to the president’s agenda. And it’s been haphazard and ham-handed. My opinion.”

Gidley responded by saying that the White House messaging on the issue hasn’t been concrete because the policies themselves are still a work-in-progress.

“Well, that’s your opinion, and that’s fine,” Gidley told McDowell. “But listen, we don’t have set things in concrete and stone for these people to be up in arms about.”

Watch above, via Fox Business.

[featured image via screengrab]

——

Follow Joe DePaolo (@joe_depaolo) on Twitter

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet Newsletter
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!