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Press Briefing by Kayleigh McEnany; 12/15/2020, #41
PRESS BRIEFINGS
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 12/15/2020, #41
Issued on: December 16, 2020
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:11 P.M. EST
MS. MCENANY: Hello, everyone. Good afternoon. Yesterday, the United States witnessed a medical miracle: The first doses of a COVID vaccine were administered to frontline workers across the country. The President promised a safe and effective vaccine in record time, and President Trump delivered.
Earlier this year, we heard from several news outlets and so-called fact checks that President Trump would need, quote, “a ‘miracle’ to be right.” That was an NBC News article. We were told, according to Healthline, quote, a vaccine will “still take more than a year to develop.” USA Today warned us that, quote, “despite medical researchers’ progress,” a vaccine, quote, was “more than a year away.” And National Geographic even told us that achieving a vaccine within, quote, “a year to 18 months would be absolutely unprecedented,” end quote. These reports deserve their own fact check: false.
President Trump has not only been the optimist, hopeful to achieve a vaccine by year’s end, he has also been a leader. Through Operation Warp Speed, President Trump, the businessman and the President, as the innovator, has succeeded. President Trump directed military logistics experts at the Department of Defense to partner with health experts at Health and Human Services to ensure prompt delivery of vaccines and equipment. This includes the appointment of four-star General Perna, who oversees the global supply chain and readiness for the United States Army as Operation Warp Speed’s chief operating officer.
{snip}
And, with that, I will take questions.
Ben.
Q Kayleigh, now that the Electoral College has voted, does the President acknowledge that Joe Biden is the President-Elect? Does he have any plans to invite him here to the White House?
MS. MCENANY: The President is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election. Yesterday’s vote was one step in the constitutional process. So I will leave that to him and refer you to the campaign for more on that litigation.
Q What was his reaction to Leader McConnell, today, congratulating Joe Biden and calling him the President-Elect?
MS. MCENANY: I haven’t gotten the President’s reaction to that yet, but the President, again, is pursuing ongoing litigation. Would refer you to the campaign for further.
Q And what is the path forward though for litigation? If the votes have been certified, if the Electoral College has voted, there doesn’t seem to be a legal recourse at this point.
MS. MCENANY: The campaign would have more specifics for you on legal recourse, but yesterday was one step in the constitutional process leading up to the January 20th date in the Constitution.
{snip}
Q Does the President intend to run for election in 2024? And would you like to be part of that campaign?
MS. MCENANY: I will leave that to the President, but he’s still pursuing ongoing litigation at the moment for this election. Yes.
Todd.
Q Thanks. President Trump supported the Texas lawsuit at the Supreme Court — a lawsuit that President-elect Biden called an “assault” on democracy. How is it not — is it not anti-democratic to try to nullify 20 million votes?
MS. MCENANY: I think pursuing legitimate litigation through the judicial system is in no way assaulting democracy. In fact, it’s — it’s using democrat institutions in the manner they are to be used: to pursue legitimate claims with sworn affidavits and additional evidence.
But I do think what is an assault on democracy are the four investigations into President Trump over Russia collusion that turned up nothing. I mean, Mueller alone — you had 19 lawyers, 40 FBI agents, 2,800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants, millions of taxpayer dollars — all to find no collusion. And the investigation into President Trump began far before he was even elected President of the United States.
And his intel briefings, in the transition period, were even weaponized against him. An “insurance policy” from Peter Strzok was put in place against this President prior to him being elected. That is what is an assault on democracy.
{snip}
Yes, Katherine.
Q Does the White House have any comment on Crede Bailey, the Security Director who had his leg amputated due to COVID?
MS. MCENANY: Yeah, our heart goes out to his family. They’ve asked for privacy. And he is recovering, from what I understand. We’re very pleased to see that. But he and his family will be in our prayers.
Q Has the President had a chance to speak with him?
MS. MCENANY: I’m not sure if the President has had a private conversation with him, nor would I confirm any — any private conversation that he did have.
Lalit.
Q Thank you. Thank you for doing this. Over the weekend, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was desecrated by some protesters in downtown D.C. This is for the second time this has happened. I would love to hear your comments on that.
MS. MCENANY: Yeah. It’s terrible. No statue or memorial should be desecrated, and certainly not one like that of Gandhi, who really fought for the values that America represents of peace, justice, and freedom. So that desecration is appalling to see. It’s appalling that it’s happened more than once. And we believe the reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, especially here in America’s capital.
Q Can I ask one more, if I —
MS. MCENANY: Sure.
Q Does the President believe that the democracy in United States is under threat? And based on his tweets, what other electoral reforms he wants to push in this country?
MS. MCENANY: What was the first part of your question? I couldn’t —
Q Does the President believe that democracy in the United States is under threat?
MS. MCENANY: That democracy is under threat? He believes that — he certainly was under assault when it comes to the investigations into his administration: the Mueller probe, the unfortunate way that our FBI was mishandled by folks like Andy McCabe, by folks like Jim Comey, and weaponized in a political way against his candidacy and then against his — his presidency.
Yes, Charlotte.
Q Thanks, Kayleigh. Is President Trump planning to take any action after seeing the forensic audit of the machines in Antrim County, Michigan?
MS. MCENANY: I’d have to refer you to the campaign on anything regarding the election.
Q And just as far as the 2018 executive order on election interference, has he received a report yet? And when he does receive it, is any of that going to be available for the public to look at?
MS. MCENANY: I am not aware of any report that he’s received to that end.
Chanel.
Q Thank you, Kayleigh. Just want an update statement on Iran, especially in light of the just-signed Israel-Morocco deal.
{snip. McEnany turns this into a chance to talk about Hunter Biden.}
END 1:34 P.M. EST
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 12/15/2020, #41
Issued on: December 16, 2020
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:11 P.M. EST
MS. MCENANY: Hello, everyone. Good afternoon. Yesterday, the United States witnessed a medical miracle: The first doses of a COVID vaccine were administered to frontline workers across the country. The President promised a safe and effective vaccine in record time, and President Trump delivered.
Earlier this year, we heard from several news outlets and so-called fact checks that President Trump would need, quote, “a ‘miracle’ to be right.” That was an NBC News article. We were told, according to Healthline, quote, a vaccine will “still take more than a year to develop.” USA Today warned us that, quote, “despite medical researchers’ progress,” a vaccine, quote, was “more than a year away.” And National Geographic even told us that achieving a vaccine within, quote, “a year to 18 months would be absolutely unprecedented,” end quote. These reports deserve their own fact check: false.
President Trump has not only been the optimist, hopeful to achieve a vaccine by year’s end, he has also been a leader. Through Operation Warp Speed, President Trump, the businessman and the President, as the innovator, has succeeded. President Trump directed military logistics experts at the Department of Defense to partner with health experts at Health and Human Services to ensure prompt delivery of vaccines and equipment. This includes the appointment of four-star General Perna, who oversees the global supply chain and readiness for the United States Army as Operation Warp Speed’s chief operating officer.
{snip}
And, with that, I will take questions.
Ben.
Q Kayleigh, now that the Electoral College has voted, does the President acknowledge that Joe Biden is the President-Elect? Does he have any plans to invite him here to the White House?
MS. MCENANY: The President is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election. Yesterday’s vote was one step in the constitutional process. So I will leave that to him and refer you to the campaign for more on that litigation.
Q What was his reaction to Leader McConnell, today, congratulating Joe Biden and calling him the President-Elect?
MS. MCENANY: I haven’t gotten the President’s reaction to that yet, but the President, again, is pursuing ongoing litigation. Would refer you to the campaign for further.
Q And what is the path forward though for litigation? If the votes have been certified, if the Electoral College has voted, there doesn’t seem to be a legal recourse at this point.
MS. MCENANY: The campaign would have more specifics for you on legal recourse, but yesterday was one step in the constitutional process leading up to the January 20th date in the Constitution.
{snip}
Q Does the President intend to run for election in 2024? And would you like to be part of that campaign?
MS. MCENANY: I will leave that to the President, but he’s still pursuing ongoing litigation at the moment for this election. Yes.
Todd.
Q Thanks. President Trump supported the Texas lawsuit at the Supreme Court — a lawsuit that President-elect Biden called an “assault” on democracy. How is it not — is it not anti-democratic to try to nullify 20 million votes?
MS. MCENANY: I think pursuing legitimate litigation through the judicial system is in no way assaulting democracy. In fact, it’s — it’s using democrat institutions in the manner they are to be used: to pursue legitimate claims with sworn affidavits and additional evidence.
But I do think what is an assault on democracy are the four investigations into President Trump over Russia collusion that turned up nothing. I mean, Mueller alone — you had 19 lawyers, 40 FBI agents, 2,800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants, millions of taxpayer dollars — all to find no collusion. And the investigation into President Trump began far before he was even elected President of the United States.
And his intel briefings, in the transition period, were even weaponized against him. An “insurance policy” from Peter Strzok was put in place against this President prior to him being elected. That is what is an assault on democracy.
{snip}
Yes, Katherine.
Q Does the White House have any comment on Crede Bailey, the Security Director who had his leg amputated due to COVID?
MS. MCENANY: Yeah, our heart goes out to his family. They’ve asked for privacy. And he is recovering, from what I understand. We’re very pleased to see that. But he and his family will be in our prayers.
Q Has the President had a chance to speak with him?
MS. MCENANY: I’m not sure if the President has had a private conversation with him, nor would I confirm any — any private conversation that he did have.
Lalit.
Q Thank you. Thank you for doing this. Over the weekend, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was desecrated by some protesters in downtown D.C. This is for the second time this has happened. I would love to hear your comments on that.
MS. MCENANY: Yeah. It’s terrible. No statue or memorial should be desecrated, and certainly not one like that of Gandhi, who really fought for the values that America represents of peace, justice, and freedom. So that desecration is appalling to see. It’s appalling that it’s happened more than once. And we believe the reputation of Mahatma Gandhi should be respected, especially here in America’s capital.
Q Can I ask one more, if I —
MS. MCENANY: Sure.
Q Does the President believe that the democracy in United States is under threat? And based on his tweets, what other electoral reforms he wants to push in this country?
MS. MCENANY: What was the first part of your question? I couldn’t —
Q Does the President believe that democracy in the United States is under threat?
MS. MCENANY: That democracy is under threat? He believes that — he certainly was under assault when it comes to the investigations into his administration: the Mueller probe, the unfortunate way that our FBI was mishandled by folks like Andy McCabe, by folks like Jim Comey, and weaponized in a political way against his candidacy and then against his — his presidency.
Yes, Charlotte.
Q Thanks, Kayleigh. Is President Trump planning to take any action after seeing the forensic audit of the machines in Antrim County, Michigan?
MS. MCENANY: I’d have to refer you to the campaign on anything regarding the election.
Q And just as far as the 2018 executive order on election interference, has he received a report yet? And when he does receive it, is any of that going to be available for the public to look at?
MS. MCENANY: I am not aware of any report that he’s received to that end.
Chanel.
Q Thank you, Kayleigh. Just want an update statement on Iran, especially in light of the just-signed Israel-Morocco deal.
{snip. McEnany turns this into a chance to talk about Hunter Biden.}
END 1:34 P.M. EST
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