Since the White House briefing there’s been a debate about something one reporter said to Kayleigh McEnany when she told her she’d asked enough questions. Here’s the clip in question:
Some are saying it sounds like a reporter called @PressSec a "bitch"
Here is audio in question: pic.twitter.com/NNWeCnjGCf
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 21, 2020
The claim is that it sounds like the reporter is responding to Kayleigh saying “ok you’re a lying bitch”. And honestly, that’s what I heard when I listened to it, after of course being told that’s what it said. It sounded clear as day to me.
The reporter was asked about this and replied, saying that what she actually said was “ok you don’t want to engage.”
Thanks for asking @charliespiering … there's a lot of misreporting out there about that briefing. The answer to your question is, I DID NOT. What I said was, "OKAY, YOU DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE." https://t.co/xmu5YR7gXr
— Kimberly Halkett (@KimberlyHalkett) July 21, 2020
I listened to it again and again and I still heard the former, especially in the really short clips.
But finally, I heard “ok you don’t want to engage” in this one (which is the same as the top video):
“Okay you don’t want to engage.”
or
“Okay you’re a lying bitch.”
Listen carefully to what you actually hear here.pic.twitter.com/OiNOO9uuU2
— JERRY DUNLEAVY (@JerryDunleavy) July 21, 2020
Now I hear that as clear as day.
Jason Howerton experienced the same phenomenon:
This is crazy… some psychology at play here because when people were saying "lying bitch," I heard it as clear as day…
But when the other option was presented, that's what I hear.
I think it's "okay you don't want to engage," deleted past tweets. https://t.co/KcA3DOK1Ym
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) July 21, 2020
It’s the power of suggestion. This is why I didn’t run with this as soon as I thought I heard ‘lying b—-‘, because from past experience I know how the power of suggestion can kidnap your brain for a while. It’s like looking at one of those weird paintings that you have to stare at for a while until you see the hidden picture underneath the pattern. I’ve never been successful at seeing the hidden picture, but I am glad I was finally able to hear this for what it was. Because if she had said the other, it would be big news.