White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany shared at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night that she had a preventative mastectomy in 2018, and received support from President Trump even though she did personally not know him at the time.
Why it matters: McEnany said that through her experience, she knows that Trump supports health care coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions, an issue the president has recently emphasized as important to the GOP. Her comments did not address the fact that Trump administration is currently arguing before the Supreme Court that the Affordable Care Act — which protects pre-existing conditions — should be struck down.
What she's saying: "During one of my most difficult times, I expected to have the support of my family, but I had more support than I knew," McEnany said.
- "As I came out of anesthesia, one of the first calls I received was from Ivanka Trump," she continued.
- "Days later, as I recovered, my phone rang. It was President Trump, calling to check on me. I was blown away. Here was the leader of the free world caring about me."
- "Though I didn’t personally know the President at the time, I know him well now and I can tell you that this president loves the American people, stands by Americans with preexisting conditions, and supports working moms."
Go deeper: Trump considering order on pre-existing condition protections, which already exist