Is Kayleigh McEnany Married? Details About The New White House Press Secretary's Personal Life & Career
Kayleigh McEnany was recently appointed the new White House Press Secretary.
instagram The Trump administration has chosen a new White House Press Secretary. According to the NY Times, Kayleigh McEnany replaces Stephanie Grisham, becoming the fourth Press Secretary under Donald Trump.
Put in layman's terms, the White House Press Secretary is basically the President’s PR person. The Press Secretary traditionally answers media questions on the President’s behalf and acts as the spokesperson for the White House.
“I have always been fascinated by politics and political commentary,” McEnany said in a 2014 interview. Most of her McEnany’s Instagram page already showcases more political photos and videos promoting the Trump administration than personal shots, suggesting she might be just the right person for the job.
So who is Kayleigh McEnany?
At just 31 years old, McEnany is tied for being the second-youngest person to hold the position of Press Secretary. Despite her age, McEnany is qualified — according to her Instagram bio she attended both Georgetown and Oxford universities, eventually earning her JD at Harvard Law School.
Sean Gilmartin is Kayleigh McEnany’s husband
In 2016, McEnany got engaged to professional baseball player Sean Gilmartin.
Gilmartin currently pitches for the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I am so proud to tell my colleagues in politics and media about Sean’s career and his move to the Tampa Bay Rays,’’ McEnany told the Tampa Bay Times in March. “I watch his games from the campaign headquarters, from airplanes, and all across the campaign trail.’’
The two officially married in November 2017.
She’s a mom
McEnany and Gilmartin gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in November 2019.
“Sean and I are so blessed to welcome our first baby - Blake Avery Gilmartin - into the world!” McEnany wrote on Instagram. “What a blessing from God she is to our family!”
McEnany had a preventative double mastectomy in 2018
In May 2019, McEnany wrote an article for Fox News revealing that she had undergone a double mastectomy the year before after receiving test results indicating that she had an 84 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
“The approach I had taken left me feeling strong, confident, and nearly unchanged,” she wrote about her surgery. “One year down the road, I could not be happier with my decision to have a preventative double mastectomy.”
She was a CNN commentator
McEnany first gained recognition as a Trump advocate on CNN. In fact, a Washington Examiner opinion piece suggested CNN “created” McEnany.
“CNN plucked McEnany out of nowhere and invented her,” wrote the op-ed’s author. “CNN made her into a MAGA superstar.”
Through her time appearing on CNN, McEnany became known for her strong defense of President Trump. She often clashed with interviewers, getting into verbal and sometimes even physical spars.
She became an RNC spokesperson in 2017
In 2017, McEnany tweeted that she would no longer continue her role as a CNN commentator, telling followers to “stay tuned” for what was next. It was then announced that McEnany would continue supporting Trump as the spokesperson for the Republican National Committee (RNC).
“Kayleigh will be an integral part of our Party’s ongoing commitment to promoting the Republican message to Americans across the country,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a press release. “Her wealth of experience will be invaluable to the RNC as we continue to support President Trump and build on our majorities in Congress as we head into 2018.”
McEnany’s first appearance as the RNC spokesperson came via a video sharing the “news of the week,” which critics compared to state-owned propaganda.
McEnany worked for political campaigns in the past
According to her interview with the University of Miami School of Law, McEnany began her political career back in 2004. A high school sophomore at the time, she volunteered for the Bush/Cheney administration.
Since then, she’s interned for Florida gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher, Congressman Adam Putnam, and even for the Bush administration. She’s also held a role as a producer for the Mike Huckabee Show.
McEnany wasn’t always pro-Trump
Looking at her rhetoric now, you’d never guess that McEnany wasn’t always a Trump supporter.
The Daily Beast compiled some of McEnany’s most notable criticisms of Trump, noting that in 2015 McEnany rejected one of Trump’s anti-immigration speeches, going so far as to call Trump a “sideshow.”
Micki Spollen is a YourTango editor and entertainment news writer. She also runs the travel blog Where In The World Is My Drink.