White House Communications Director Steven Cheung clashed with Rachel Cohen, a staffer for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), over questions about why CNN was interviewing Tricia McLaughlin. Cohen called McLaughlin, a former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson and Trump ally, "the most mendacious spokesperson I've had the displeasure of encountering in 15 years" Cheung responded by using the R-word and praising McLaughlin as "one of the best communicators around" and suggesting that Cohen could learn a thing or two from her.