As President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met for the first time since the election, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany couldn’t help but notice a stark difference in the tone of the press corps.
During a segment on Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” McEnany stated that the reporters present at the meeting “reached a higher fever pitch” than she had “heard in four years” during Trump’s administration.
“Something else I noticed is the press corps. Those of you probably remember, they were quite ferocious during Donald Trump’s tenure … When you listen to the pool reporters shouting at Trump and Biden, it was noticeably at a higher fever pitch, one that I have not heard in four years,” McEnany said.
Despite the intense questioning and scrutiny faced by Trump during his presidency, he graciously congratulated Biden on his victory and promised to make the transition as smooth as possible.
“Politics is tough. And it’s, many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today,” Trump said. “And I appreciate it very much — a transition that’s so smooth, it’ll be as smooth as it can get. And I very much appreciate that, Joe.”
“You’re welcome,” Biden responded before thanking the press corp, who then loudly shouted questions over each other.
McEnany, who served as Trump’s press secretary from April 2020 until January 2021, often engaged in heated exchanges with reporters while defending the president’s policies and actions.
She noted that the press corps seemed to have taken a gentler tone during Biden’s first meeting with Trump as president-elect.
Trump’s re-election victory, with a lead of 312 electoral votes and a two-point lead in the popular vote, has been a cause for celebration amongst his supporters. Many have praised his achievements during his time in office and expressed confidence in his ability to lead the country for another term.