‘This is Pathetic’: Conservatives and Fox Newsers Condemn Trump’s ‘Unhinged’ Rant Against Kayleigh McEnany

Charlie NashMay 31st, 2023, 6:39 am

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Former President Donald Trump received backlash from conservatives and former campaign staffers on Tuesday after he tore into his former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

Trump attacked McEnany on Truth Social after she cited 2024 Republican primary poll numbers, which Trump claimed were false, during an appearance on Fox News.

“Kayleigh ‘Milktoast’ McEnany just gave out the wrong poll numbers on FoxNews,” Trump wrote, misspelling the term ‘milquetoast’. “I am 34 points up on DeSanctimonious, not 25 up. While 25 is great, it’s not 34.”

“She knew the number was corrected upwards by the group that did the poll,” he continued in the post. “The RINOS & Globalists can have her. FoxNews should only use REAL Stars!!!”

Trump’s attack on McEnany — who became the co-host of Fox News’s Outnumbered following her stint as Trump’s White House press secretary — angered many conservatives, including former staffers from Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Brian Kilmeade, one of the hosts of Fox & Friends, a Trump favorite, called his attack on McEnany “insane.”

Others also came to her defense:

Imagine being so immature as to attack your former press secretary, who was nothing if not loyal, for allegedly misquoting a poll number. pic.twitter.com/7zEiAUnGyx

— Brit Hume (@brithume) May 31, 2023

Kayleigh was one of the only voices defending Trump on CNN when he ran in 16. I often disagreed with her, but she was prepared, relentless & unafraid of being heavily outnumbered. She then served Trump as chief spokesperson when he was president. She also likes DeSantis. Result: pic.twitter.com/ZwToHGOvpm

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 31, 2023

When Kayleigh McEnany was Press Secretary under Trump, MAGA loved posting videos of destroying the regime propagandists. Now she’s “milk toast.” Christina Pushaw went from BASED to traitor. This is garbage. Those of you going along with it have no honor.

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) May 31, 2023

“This is pathetic. I don’t care who you are. This is unacceptable and unhinged,” reacted Blaze TV host Chad Prather. “[McEnany] took bullets for this man. We have a guy in the White House destroying the country and you go after her?!?!? It’s becoming an absolute joke.”

Kayleigh McEnany is a role model for conservative women

She’s a devout Christian, devoted mother & wife, Harvard law grad, author, prime time news host, a staunch defender of America 1st agenda, & one of the best press secretaries we’ve ever seen

She’s anything but “milk toast”

— Courtney Holland 🇺🇸 (@hollandcourtney) May 31, 2023

https://twitter.com/RealBrysonGray/status/1663735514195738624

Matt Wolking, who served as Trump’s deputy director of communications in 2020, called Trump’s post “a disgrace.”

Wolking, who now works for the pro-Ron DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC, defended McEnany by pointing out that she “took countless arrows defending him and she was great at it.”

Former Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis also reacted to Trump’s post, tweeting, “I will simply leave this here for when people ask why I and *many* others didn’t return for 2024.”

Kayleigh is the kindest person and was the best press secretary to ever step foot in the White House. There is ZERO excuse for degrading or belittling her to this degree over a few points. I am upset, and at a loss for words. This erratic behavior is concerning. pic.twitter.com/nmksKn28Z8

— Kambree (@KamVTV) May 31, 2023

Kayleigh is the best https://t.co/EHeYu2HJKb

— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) May 31, 2023

Trump tore into McEnany after she made an appearance on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime, Tuesday and said:

The DeSantis team would say, you know, ‘We just had polling come out that shows we closed the gap by 9 points since we announced in Iowa.’ Still, Trump’s hugely ahead, but they say they’re closing the gap. That’s their argument… If you look at the polling now, it was Trump 34 in Iowa, it’s now Trump 25.

The former president has lashed out at many former allies in recent months, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham, News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch, and former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney as he fights to secure the 2024 Republican nomination.