Laura Ingraham sounded less than enthusiastic at the prospect of becoming press secretary. But perhaps mindful that the White House is having trouble finding anyone who wants the job, her Fox News colleagues blatantly coaxed her to do it.
Ingraham visited Trump TV Central, aka Fox & Friends, today after it was reported yesterday that the Fox News contributor is being considered for the job of press secretary.
Ingraham claimed to have been in “a kind of news blackout” for part of the day and didn’t know much about reports that she is in the running. (Never mind reports that she had already had “preliminary discussions” with the White House on the subject.)
Cohost Steve Doocy asked, “Would you be interested in being the president’s press secretary, standing at that podium everyday?” (Some transcript excerpts via Media Matters.)
Ingraham’s response suggested ambivalence:
INGRAHAM: Yeah. I’ve always said that if it’s something that I think I could do well, and it would really advance the agenda of this administration at a time where I think there’s so much at stake for the country and for the future, I would think about it. I’m not sure if that’s the role I would pick for myself, but…I have a legal background, strategic political communications and planning…I’m not sure the press secretary thing is something I’m dying to do.
But cohost Steve Doocy interrupted: “You could do a lot of stuff,” he goaded.
Ingraham didn’t sound persuaded. “It would be fun to do every now and then,” she replied.
So cohost Ainsley Earhardt did her part for the cause: “I’d love to see you in that role, though.”
Earhardt seemed to especially hope that Ingraham would attack any member of the press that isn't a Trump sycophant, as Earhardt is. “You’d fire back. It’d be fun to watch,” she chirped.
But Ingraham didn’t want to go there.
INGRAHAM: It’s a relationship that has to be cultivated over time and everyone can complain about the unfair media but there are some good reporters out there and I think that what we’ve seen over the last few months is there’s about 90% focus on Russia, Russia, Russia – Mueller, Comey and 10% on policy and the agenda and economic renewal and the threats that we face and how we’re addressing them. I would flip that narrative. I think 90% of the focus should be on the agenda.
That sounds exactly like the answer someone auditioning for the job would give.
Watch the discussion below, from the June 20, 2017 Fox & Friends.
This is a woman who thought it a fun idea to taunt Ben Jacobs after he was assaulted by Carl Gianforte in Montana with the Tweet: “Did someone get his lunch money stolen and need to go tell the recess monitor?”
If she is put in a room full of reporters, she must be told to apologize for her prior behavior and to specifically apologize in public to Jacobs. If she can’t figure out how to do that, then she shouldn’t be going anywhere near the White House Press Room.
