During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany fielded several questions about President Donald Trump’s stance on the Confederate flag.
But as she concluded her briefing, she lashed out reporters for not asking about a spike in shootings in cities around the country in recent weeks.
“Finally, I would end with this: I was asked probably 12 questions about the Confederate flag. This president is focused on action. I’m a little dismayed that I didn’t receive one question on the deaths in this country this weekend,” McEnany said.
She continued, “I didn’t receive one question about New York City shootings doubling for the third straight week, and over the last seven days, shootings skyrocket by 142%. Not one question. I didn’t receive one question about five children who were killed.”
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Cities around the country saw an uptick in gun violence over the Fourth of July weekend, which left several children dead.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms (D) addressed the violence in her city. She said, “Enough is enough.”
“We have talked about this movement that is happening across America at this moment in time when we have the ears and the interest of people across this country and across this globe who are saying they want to see change.”
“We’re fighting the enemy within when we are shooting each other up in our streets. You shot and killed a baby, and it wasn’t one shooter — there were at least two shooters,” she added.
The questions about the Confederate flag came Donald Trump suggested in a tweet that NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace should apologize and appeared to suggest that NASCAR’s decision to ban Confederate flags at its events would hurt its ratings.
After that tweet, McEnany was asked by NBC News’ Peter Alexander, “Why is the president so supportive of flying the Confederate flag?”
“You’re taking his tweet completely out of context,” McEnany responded.
And ABC News’ Jon Karl, “Does [Trump] think it was a mistake for NASCAR to ban [the Confederate flag]?”
McEnany told Karl, “You are focusing on one word at the very bottom of the tweet.”
“That is completely taking it out of context and neglecting the complete rush to judgment,” she added.
Finally, McEnany said, “I will leave you with this remark by a dad. It broke my heart. … They say ‘black lives matter’? You killed a child. She didn’t do nothing to nobody.'”
“We need to be focused on securing our streets, making sure no lives are lost, because all black lives matter,” McEnany concluded.”
