White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany scolded CNN’s David Axelrod after the liberal network’s senior political analyst criticized her emotional Republican National Convention speech, saying her story was used as a “leap to an assertion” that President Trump is fighting to protect people with preexisting conditions.
On Wednesday night, McEnany shared the deeply personal story about her diagnosis with the BRCAII genetic mutation ‒ a mutation that put her chances of breast cancer at 84 percent ‒ which prompted her to get a preventive double mastectomy in 2018.
“I was scared. The night before I fought back tears, as I prepared to lose a piece of myself,” she said. “But the next day, with my mom, dad, husband, and Jesus Christ by my side, I underwent a mastectomy, almost eliminating my chance of breast cancer — a decision I now celebrate.”
She added: “During one of my most difficult times, I expected to have the support of my family, but I had more support than I knew.”
McEnany said that one of the first calls she received was from Ivanka Trump.
“Days later, as I recovered, my phone rang. It was President Trump, calling to check on me,” McEnany said. “I was blown away. Here was the leader of the free world caring about me.”
She added: “Though I didn’t personally know the president at the time, I know him well now and I can tell you that this president loves the American people, stands by Americans with preexisting conditions and supports working moms.”
Following McEnany’s speech, CNN’s Axelrod tweeted that her speech was moving but claimed it was used for political purposes.
“.@PressSec’s personal story was moving but to use it to leap to an assertion that the @POTUS is fighting to protect people with pre-existing conditions was unworthy of it,” Axelrod wrote. “He’s actively trying to reverse the law that protects people with pre-existing conditions.”
McEnany fired back, “I don’t ‘USE’ my story… I TELL my story proudly!”
“While this president won’t support government takeover, which deprives Americans with preexisting conditions of our doctors and our plans, he will PROVIDE us with good, affordable health care,” McEnany added.
*story by Fox News