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| Spicer's infamous January 21 news conference. That baggy, dated suit! (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) |
| Washington Post; By Amber Phillips |
White House press secretary Sean Spicer resigned amid staffing turmoil.
He was the most visible — and most publicly pummeled — member of the Trump White House.
Spicer's job had become nearly impossible. The president routinely undermined his statements, his job and his reputation.
From Day One, Spicer became the story instead of delivering the story. Remember when the president told Spicer to hold a Saturday news conference to demand the press report on a bigger crowd size for the inauguration? “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period — both in person and around the globe,” Spicer said, which [ of course] isn't true.
Over the next few months, Spicer would publicly deny that a policy the White House called a travel ban was a travel ban. He misspoke in a reference to Hitler and gas chambers during the Holocaust. He was parodied on “Saturday Night Live.” He said covfefe meant something. He didn't get invited to meet Pope Francis, the one celebrity he apparently wanted to meet through this job.
When Trump suddenly fired FBI director James B. Comey, The Post's Jenna Johnson reported Spicer “spent several minutes hidden in the darkness among the bushes” before he'd speak with reporters in the darkness, cameras off.
Eventually, Spicer wasn't even on camera at all as his deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders (who is now his replacement) filled in.
Spicer was the most ridiculed man in Washington, and the Fix's Aaron Blake writes forfeited his credibility to do his job. So his departure isn't really surprising.
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But why now? Which brings me to:
A name you should know: Anthony Scaramucci
First, how to pronounce his name: ScAruhmoochey
Who he is: A former hedge fund manager, cable news bulldog and as of now, the director of the Trump White House's communications team. ...But Scaramucci won't be on the podium, he will direct communications behind-the-scenes.
Did his hiring cause Spicer to leave? The Post's Ashley Parker, Abby Phillip and Damian Paletta report Spicer's resignation was abrupt and angry and caught top West Wing officials off guard. So, reading between the lines, it sure seems like it.
Why Scaramucci's hiring matters: He is a Trump ally with conservative credentials and, even though he dissed Trump during the campaign, he's been a "killer" (adviser Kellyanne Conway's words) on TV defending Trump now. But his hiring came at the opposition of senior advisers. He even has a crude name for Trump's chief of staff, whose last name is Priebus. (Think about it...).
Bringing Scaramucci on is a clue that Trump believes the answer to his chaotic presidency is to get more combative with the world, not less.
Think Trump was tough on Spicer? Nixon once shoved his press secretary.
Ron Ziegler, former President Nixon press secretary (White House Photo Courtesy Richard Nixon Library)
Michael Rosenwald, writing for The Post's history-focused blog The Retropolis, explains:
If there's one kernel of comfort I can offer Spicer and his fans: It could have been worse?
(Framepool)
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