Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not say that her ex-boss, former President Donald Trump, should campaign for Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R-GA) ahead of his December run-off election.
McEnany addressed the issue during Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News midday panel show “Outnumbered,” telling co-host Harris Faulkner that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) “should be welcomed” and advising her former boss not to be tempted to make any announcements about possible 2024 presidential campaigns until 2022 was truly over.
WATCH:
Trump press secretary turned Fox host Kayleigh McEnany says Trump should put his campaign declaration on pause until after a Georgia Senate runoff, pointedly does not recommend he go campaign for Walker but says DeSantis should. pic.twitter.com/bklkjUxqa1
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) November 9, 2022
“Every ounce of Republican energy, every last ounce, needs to go into that Georgia race because it could potentially be what makes or breaks the Senate, getting Herschel Walker over the finish line,” McEnany explained, adding, “I know there’s a temptation to talk about 2024. No, no, no. 2022 is not over. Every Republican energy needs to go to grinding the Biden agenda to a halt.”
Faulkner pushed back, asking, “Does that include Trump?”
“I think he needs to put it on pause, absolutely,” McEnany said, but she noted that Trump might not necessarily heed any advice. “He will make his own decision.”
McEnany also clarified that she believed her advice was good for any Republicans who might be considering 2024 presidential runs — including DeSantis — saying they should wait until the 2022 elections were fully buttoned up before they began making announcements in that regard.
Faulkner’s follow-up question addressed whether or not McEnany believed that Trump should plan to campaign for Walker — whom he endorsed in the race to unseat incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) — and McEnany did not give a straight answer.
Instead, mentioning the Florida governor’s blowout victory, she said, “I think Governor DeSantis should be welcomed given what happened last night. You have to look at the realities on the ground. We have to win the Senate. That’s it. Got to win the Senate.”
Former President Trump was expected to potentially announce a 2024 presidential bid several days earlier during an Ohio rally in support of Senator-elect J.D. Vance — but he said at the time that he wanted to keep the focus on winning the midterm elections, and instead promised to make a “big announcement” from his Mar-a-Lago home on November 15.
