CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Obsessed
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDB's Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      CULTURE
      • Power Trip
      • Fashion
      • Books
      • Royalist
      TECH
      • Disinformation
      SCOUTED
      • Clothing
      • Technology
      • Beauty
      • Home
      • Pets
      • Kitchen
      • Fitness
      • I'm Looking For
      BEST PICKS
      • Best VPNs
      • Best Gaming PCs
      • Best Air Fryers
      COUPONS
      • Vistaprint Coupons
      • Ulta Coupons
      • Office Depot Coupons
      • Adidas Promo Codes
      • Walmart Promo Codes
      • H&M Coupons
      • Spanx Promo Codes
      • StubHub Promo Codes
      Products
      NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
      FOLLOW US
      GOT A TIP?

      SEARCH

      HOMEPAGE
      Newsletters
      Coronavirus

      Kayleigh McEnany Grilled on Trump’s ‘Kung Flu’ Rally Slur

      ‘LEAST RACIST PERSON’

      Reporters pointed out that Kellyanne Conway called the term “highly offensive” back in March.

      Matt Wilstein

      Senior Writer

      Updated Jun. 22, 2020 4:31PM ET / Published Jun. 22, 2020 2:39PM ET 

      Three months ago, at the very beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang revealed that a White House official had called COVID-19 the “Kung Flu” to her face. “Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back,” she tweeted at the time. 

      So after President Donald Trump himself used that openly racist term during his campaign rally speech in Tulsa over the weekend, Jiang asked White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany about it on Monday.

      Noting that Trump has deemed himself “the least racist person there is anywhere in the world,” Jiang asked, “Why does he use racist phrases like the Kung Flu?”

        “The president doesn’t,” McEnany lied. “What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China.” As the press secretary continued to defend Trump’s words, Jiang pushed back, expressing the concerns of Asian-Americans around the country who worry that those words will further inflame racist attacks against them. 

        “To be clear, are you saying the White House does not believe it’s racist?” Jiang asked.

        “To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus when the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country,” McEnany shot back. 

        Later in the briefing, PBS NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor brought up the fact that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called the term “Kung Flu” “highly offensive” back in March. “Does the president agree with Kellyanne Conway or is he now saying that term is not ‘highly offensive’ and wrong?’” 

        When McEnany responded by saying that “the president does not believe it’s offensive to note that this virus came from China,” Alcindor pressed her to actually answer the question about Conway and “Kung Flu.” Instead, McEnany quickly pivoted to a softball question about John Bolton from her invited guest, OAN reporter Chanel Rion. 

          Matt Wilstein

          Senior Writer

          @mattwilsteinmatt.wilstein@thedailybeast.com

          Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

          READ THIS LIST

          DAILY BEAST
          • Cheat Sheet
          • Politics
          • Entertainment
          • Media
          • World
          • Innovation
          • U.S. News
          • Scouted
          • Travel
          • Subscription
          • Crossword
          • Newsletters
          • Podcasts
          • About
          • Contact
          • Tips
          • Jobs
          • Advertise
          • Help
          • Privacy
          • Code of Ethics & Standards
          • Diversity
          • Terms & Conditions
          • Copyright & Trademark
          • Sitemap
          • Best Picks
          • Coupons
          • Coupons:
          • Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
          • HP Coupon Codes
          • Chewy Promo Codes
          • Nordstrom Rack Coupons
          • NordVPN Coupons
          • JCPenny Coupons
          • Nordstrom Coupons
          • Samsung Promo Coupons
          • Home Depot Coupons
          • Hotwire Promo Codes
          • eBay Coupons
          • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
          © 2023 The Daily Beast Company LLC