This video is about how to handle tough questions like a boss, the Kayleigh McEnany edition.
You might be asking "Who the heck is Kayleigh McEnany?" and I don't blame you.
I didn't know who she was until very recently when I saw her name trending on Twitter. Kayleigh McEnany
is Donald Trump's newest press secretary and she seems like the tenth press secretary since Trump became president.
Okay, I'm exaggerating. But, this one is pretty good. As Trump's press secretary
Kayleigh's main job responsibility is seemingly to answer and crush "gotcha questions", questions that are asked not for informational purposes
but rhetorical purposes, that have a specific agenda, like to embarrass, to politicize, to dominate, and to make the
administration submit.
Specifically, she's quite good at handling these gotcha questions. You might think becoming good at handling
gotcha questions is like some inborn talent that you have to be born with, but that's just not true.
Just like Kayleigh. I noticed she usually uses a specific three-step formula to respond to these gotcha questions. In this video,
I'm gonna show you that three-step formula,
which I call the "three-step tango" in action in different press conferences.
Now before we talk about the three-step tango, let's talk briefly about her presentation style and mindsets.
Do you see this picture of her throughout each one of her press conferences?
You almost never see her deviate from this look on her face.
She's totally emotionless. She doesn't antagonize nor get antagonized.
She perfectly polite. But deadly she's never rude or offensive and she's absolutely and completely calm in control, almost
psychopath level of calmness. So let's move on to the three-step formula. Kayleigh, in a
previous life before you were press secretary working for the campaign and you made a comment
I believe on Fox in which you said "President Trump will not allow the coronavirus to come to this country".
Given what has happened since then, obviously,
would you like to take that back?
Well first let me note, I was asked a question on Fox Business about president's travel restrictions
I noted what was the intent behind those travel restrictions, which is we will not see the coronavirus come here,
we will not see terrorism come here, referring to an earlier set of travel restrictions. It's been a while since we've seen. Dr
Birx so for example
I mean she is the coordinator of the coronavirus task force when when when we see her
And be able to get get an update from her and be able to ask questions of her?
Yeah again, you know, I don't know when in this capacity you will see her, but I talked to Dr.
Birx regularly. In fact, I talked to her just before I came out here
But the bottom line is the president said point blank did Flynn lied to the FBI and to the vice president?
And I'm just asking a very direct question
Does he still believe that Michael Flynn lied to the FBI and lied to the vice president?
And again
I'd point you to the vice president's statement that he's inclined to believe that Flynn did not intentionally
mislead him. These three clips. You just saw are Step One, which is clarify or try to contextualize the question. Nope
that's not what we meant.
Or, this is what was meant
But the key is she never stops at this Step One because if she does she risks the other person coming back and asking further
questions. Okay. Now, let's watch Step Two in action.
I guess I would turn the question back on the media and ask similar questions.
Cause I had some questions about some funny numbers
I heard from Senator Elizabeth Warren, and she helped me to correct those numbers
which I'd like to correct here because I think it's
unfair to the American people to give inflated case numbers and mortality numbers because it leads to those same Americans making the decision to not
get a mammogram, to not have the cancer screenings they need. So I'd like to just reveal to you some information. Dr
Birx just shared with me. And I'm asking back that all of you and your coverage endeavor to report
What is a very scary story when the FBI is saying let us get someone to lie. I've seen very scant coverage of that
it's a story worth
reporting and a story that I hope the American people if you haven't heard it yet, are getting to hear for the very first time.
As you can see from these three clips after putting the question into context,
she will transition her response to point the finger elsewhere.
Not at the questioner, but something else. In her case,
they'll either be the media, the Democrats, some worse problem, or someone or some other worse actor.
Basically, she'll make the same accusation towards something or someone else.
But, she never makes it personal to the person asking the question and that's why her press conferences don't get antagonistic.
Okay
Now, let's watch the final step, Step Three, in action. Elizabeth Warren erroneously said there were 25,000 new cases today.
In fact, there were less than 20,000.
Senator Warren said there were two thousand deaths. In fact, there have been less than a thousand. I spoke with. Dr. Birx about that
so
I'd encourage our Democratic colleagues and all Americans to make sure we're putting out there good information because it does have consequences.
Does Vox want to take back that they proclaim that the coronavirus would not be a deadly pandemic?
Does the Washington Post want to take back that they told Americans to get a grip, the flu is bigger than the coronavirus?
Does the Washington Post likewise want to take back that our brains are causing us to exaggerate the threat of the coronavirus? As you
can just see in the clips, you just saw after she's points the finger elsewhere,
she will close a response by overwhelming the questioner with an avalanche of facts
supporting that accusation. This has the effect of giving the questioner too much to respond to in not enough time.
So the questioner is most likely to give up at this point. So, as you can see, all three steps are necessary.
So there you go. That's the patented Kayleigh McEnany three step tango and now you're armed with the tools to answer tough questions.
I hope you like this video.
Please give it a like and if you haven't already and want to learn more about verbal skills,
please subscribe. I'm Min Liu and i'll see you guys next time.