White House Reporter Compares Kayleigh McEnany To ‘Bad Ex-Boyfriend,’ Says Biden Has ‘Blue Wall’ Of Staffers Blocking Press

Yahoo White House correspondent Brittany Shepherd compared former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to a “bad ex-boyfriend” and said that President Joe Biden has a “blue wall” of staffers who stand between him and the press.

Shepherd spoke with CNN’s Brian Stelter during a Sunday morning appearance on “Reliable Sources,” and she noted that Biden’s carefully controlled media availability was a stark departure from the approach of former President Donald Trump. (RELATED: This Is Why Nobody Believes The Media Anymore)

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Shepherd began by saying that a return to daily — and less contentious — White House press briefings had been “refreshing,” likening McEnany to a “bad ex-boyfriend” and claiming that she had “essentially abused” reporters.

She went on to clarify that simply showing up to daily briefings wasn’t enough, and that the Biden administration needed to be ready to take more tough questions.

“This is a growing problem for the Biden White House,” Shepherd continued, saying that the president was going to have to make himself more accessible to the media.

“They like to keep a tight leash on their principal so he doesn’t come out in front of the camera and gaffe. I’d understand if I was a staffer, I’d have that perspective. But I’m never going to advocate against more transparency from Biden,” she said, adding that many of the president’s appearances were very controlled. “It is really manicured and it’s veneered … Something Trump did give us was the ability to kind of ask him unvarnished questions. Of course we would get ridiculous and crazy answers, but we knew what his perspective was at all times.”

“And Biden has kind of built this blue wall of his staffers between us and him, and I think it will be a bit of an issue if he doesn’t come out and do sit downs,” Shepherd concluded. “I always say there is two big White House stories, the one they want us to know and the ones they don’t, and being able to talk to him as directly as possible will get us towards the second.”