Kayleigh McEnany claims Trump will ‘attend his own inauguration’ on 20 January 2021
‘He would have to be there in fact’
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Louise Thomas
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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has claimed that President Donald Trump will “attend his own inauguration” in January 2021.
Ms McEnany, 32, was interviewed on Fox Business on Friday morning in the role of a Trump 2020 campaign adviser, and not in her taxpayer funded position as the White House press secretary.
Host Stuart Vareny asked Ms McEnany if Mr Trump will attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration in Washington, DC, on 20 January 2021.
“Again, that’s many steps away here, we are talking January and President Trump believes that he will be President Trump - have a second term.
“Litigation is the first step, and there are many steps after that,” Ms McEnany said on Friday morning.
Mr Varney suggested that it would look like “sour grapes” if Mr Trump did not attend Mr Biden’s inauguration.
However, Ms McEnany responded: “I think the president will attend his own inauguration - he would have to be there in fact.”
Mr Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election on Saturday, but Mr Trump has still not conceded, and has repeatedly falsely claimed that there was widespread voter fraud in multiple swing states.
The Trump campaign issued lawsuits in several states, which Ms McEnany referenced in her interview on Friday morning, but there is no evidence to back up the claims of voter fraud.
Ms McEnany has repeatedly refused to acknowledge Mr Biden’s victory, and when asked during an appearance on Fox News on Thursday if the president-elect will receive access to intelligence briefings before he is inaugurated, the White House press secretary refused to answer.
She told host Brian Kilmeade: “I haven’t spoken to the president about that, that would be a question more for the White House.”
The 32-year-old has appeared in multiple interviews over the last few days in the role of an adviser for the Trump 2020 campaign.
Several political commentators wondered on Thursday whether Ms McEnany’s appearances were in breach of the Hatch Act of 1939.
The Hatch Act prohibits any civil service employee in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in political activity. The exceptions to the act are the US president and vice president.
Federal employees are unable to use their official title when engaging in political activity, and are prohibited from engaging in political activity while on active duty.
However, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews told The Independent on Thursday: “Kayleigh appeared in her personal capacity as a private citizen. She advises the campaign on a voluntary basis.”
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
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