CNN host Chris Cuomo had to check that his earpiece was working properly on Wednesday night after Kayleigh McEnany, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, claimed with a straight face that President Donald Trump has never lied to the American people.
During an overly dramatic “debate” about Trump’s recent frustrations with Fox News, Cuomo mentioned the president’s well-known tendency to “lie” and take things out of context. “He doesn’t lie,” McEnany shot back. “The press lies.”
“You don’t think this president has ever lied?” Cuomo asked in disbelief. He kept asking that question until she replied, “No, I don’t think this president has lied.”
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“He has never lied to the American people?” Cuomo asked again. When she answered with a “no,” the host said, “Kayleigh McEnany, your credibility will be shot with my audience if you don’t back off that statement.”
As McEnany continued to rail against the “fake news,” Cuomo tried again and again to make her rethink her insistence that Trump has never lied to the American people. “I’m going to ask you this one more time,” he said. “Kayleigh McEnany, do you believe this president has ever lied to the American people?”
“No, I don't believe the president has lied,” she answered. As Cuomo exclaimed, “Wow!” and comically said she blew the earpiece right out of his head,” McEnany tried again to turn the question around, asking, “Do you believe the fake news media had lied?”
“This interview is over, Kayleigh,” Cuomo said. “If you can’t admit that this president has lied to the American people, you will not have credibility with this audience. You have a long way to go, Kayleigh.”
Before Cuomo could actually end the interview, McEnany told the host to “take a look in the mirror.” He responded, “I do, and I don't like these lines, but I do like that I don’t lie to my audience every damn chance I get.”
“You can’t say that this president doesn’t lie to you guys,” Cuomo told his viewers after McEnany left the screen. “You can argue why he lies, you can argue how you feel about his lies, but if you can’t even admit that—the conversation is dead.”
So now that McEnany has lost any shred of credibility she had in the eyes of Cuomo and his viewers, there’s only one question that remains: Will she be invited back on CNN’s air?
