Conservative commentator Kayleigh McEnany grew indignant during a “spirited” MSNBC panel discussion Saturday afternoon where she tried her darnedest to shut down a fellow panelist’s claims that President Donald Trump is a “racist, full stop.”
McEnany, who’s also acting spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, then snapped on a Black Republican who noted the GOP’s poor track record on race relations.
Things got heated as the panel finished their discussion on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam‘s racist blackface photos, which McEnany said Trump has condemned “repeatedly,” as he has other instances of white supremacy. Journalist and author Jonathan Alter begged to differ, however, and argued the president is just as bigoted.
McEnany wasn’t having it. The former CNN contributor cited Trump’s recent tweet honoring Black History Month, suggesting that it proved he isn’t a racist.
“This should not be about partisanship; it’s about condemning racism,” she argued. “And for your to call the president that, that’s absurd when he’s condemned it. He’s condemned it and you’re lying.”
Republican Shermichael Singelton, a former aide to HUD Secretary Ben Carson, tried calming things down, but acknowledged that the GOP has been complicit when it comes to racism and race issues.
“Kayleigh, I think we can all acknowledge — we can all acknowledge — and I’m a Republican, that our party has not done a great job on race relations more often than not,” Singelton suggested. “We’ve often dropped the ball, so —”
“We ended slavery and Jim Crow!” McEnany shot back, talking over him. “We’re the party of Lincoln and have done a great job!”
Watch more in the video below.
