Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for the New York Times, ignored the achievements of working conservative mothers on Tuesday in her praise of Joe Biden’s incoming deputy chief of staff for discussing the balance of a tough career and motherhood.
“Putting aside everything else, it is rare to hear a woman speaking unapologetically and unselfconsciously about life having kids and an intense job,” Haberman said, linking to an interview with Biden’s deputy chief of staff and former campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon. “The kind of thing men aren’t often asked to think twice about but women are always expected to.”
Putting aside everything else, it is rare to hear a woman speaking unapologetically and unselfconsciously about life having kids and an intense job. The kind of thing men aren’t often asked to think twice about but women are always expected to https://t.co/k7ZUJcqCHE
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 16, 2020
Haberman’s post was quickly met with criticism from people noting that there are many working mothers in the Trump administration who have openly shown their admiration and devotion to their own families while taking on demanding careers.
https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1339048044940189696?s=20
While corporate media like Haberman ignored any “unapologetic” working mom found in the Trump administration over the last four years, Biden’s deputy chief of staff landed an interview in a glossy women’s magazine before she was even assigned a desk in the West Wing. Here are a few conservative women who missed out on the lavish praise for no apparent reason other than their political beliefs:
Kayleigh McEnany
Most prominently on the list of working GOP moms is President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Not only does McEnany regularly post on her personal Instagram about her motherhood journey in conjunction with her career, but she has also given interviews on the subject, including one published last week.
“I think the toughest part for me has been the time spent away from my newborn,” she told the interviewer, explaining that her daughter was four months old when she took her job as press secretary. “I’ll never forget holding my daughter, Blake, a few days before my husband drove me up to D.C.”
“We have made time for both family and work, and Blake has some unforgettable moments in the White House I will tell her about one day — from watching Mommy board Marine One and viewing the NASA-SpaceX launch to dancing to ‘Frozen’ at the White House Christmas Party and flipping the pages of my briefing book while she sat on my desk,” McEnany said.
Amy Coney Barrett
As a former federal judge in the Seventh Circuit and now a Supreme Court Associate Justice, Amy Coney Barrett is also outspoken about balancing her career and her family life which includes raising seven children.
During her confirmation hearings, Barrett spoke about each of her children, telling a small part of their stories and aspirations in her opening statements. She not only defended her children from vile attacks on their adoption heritage but she also talked about the joys of being a mom.
“While I am a judge, I’m better known back home as a room parent, carpool driver, and birthday party planner. … Our children are my greatest joy, even though they deprive me of any reasonable amount of sleep,” she said.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sanders was the first mother to take on the role of press secretary, a fact that the corporate media largely ignored.
“As a working mom, it’s not lost on me what a great honor and privilege it is to stand here at the podium,” she said at a White House press briefing in 2017.
Despite the taxing role, Sanders remained engaged with her family and her job, even hosting a White House briefing for children in which her own kids attended.
Ivanka Trump
Ivanka is yet another unapologetic, conservative, working mother.
During her time in the White House, Ivanka has dutifully committed herself to her father’s administration and campaign, along with her husband Jared Kushner, all while raising three young children.
“As a working mother who has dedicated her career to the improvement of women’s lives, Ivanka intrinsically understands the issues facing American families today,” Mercedes Schlapp, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, told Politico.
Ivanka’s children are also often present at White House events, as shown on her Instagram.
Nikki Haley
Haley served as the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations while raising two children with her husband.
The best job I will ever have is being mom to these two! Counting my blessings and wishing every mom and woman with a caring heart Happy Mother’s Day❣️ #BestJobEver #LoveYouMore 💕 pic.twitter.com/ffxvlHgbjd
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 10, 2020
During her tenure as governor and ambassador, Haley was repeatedly named to the top 50 Most Powerful Moms by Working Mother Magazine.
Kellyanne Conway
Conway, former Trump campaign adviser and White House senior counselor, was also transparent about her decision to work in politics with four children.
While she said it was “tough” to be away from her children, she tried her best to make time “to help with the six-grade math homework or to make breakfast in the morning.”
While Conway ultimately decided to leave the White House in 2020, she did so unapologetically in the name of her family.
“We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids.” she wrote in her resignation. “Our four children are teens and ’tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids ‘doing school from home’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.”
“For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama,” she continued.
