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Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany heckled in briefing: ‘When will you admit you lost?’

Trump aide also branded CNN reporter an ‘activist’ in confrontation

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Saturday 21 November 2020 11:35 GMT
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Kayleigh McEnany heckled in briefing: ‘When will you admit you lost?’
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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was heckled to concede the president’s defeat during her first briefing in 49 days.

Donald Trump’s spokesperson was shouted at by Playboy reporter Brian Karem as she took questions on the coronavirus.

“When will you admit you lost?” heckled Mr Karem loudly from the back of the briefing room.

Follow live: Trump baselessly claims Pfizer sabotaged election 

Mr Karem is not a stranger to controversy when it comes to the Trump administration and the White House.

In 2019 the reporter had his White House “hard pass” suspended for 30 days after he was involved in a confrontation at a Rose Garden event with Mr Trump’s former adviser Sebastian Gorka. 

Mr Karem then sued the White House and eventually a federal appeals court ruled against the administration.

Later in the briefing Ms McEnany was also involved in a hostile spat with CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins.

Ms Collins confronted the press secretary as she wrapped up the briefing by refusing to take her question.

“I don’t call on activists,” sniped Ms McEnany back at her.

Her glib remark drew a sharp response from the CNN journalist. 

“I’m not an activist and you haven’t taken questions since 1 October and you just took about five, Kayleigh,” Ms Collins fired back.

"That’s not doing your job.”

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