Anyone who signed on to be President Trump’s press secretary was bound to have an enormously difficult job, but Sean Spicer’s first half month has been extraordinarily messy. And CNN — which Kellyanne Conway declared on Tuesday is not “fake news” — has a new report that says Trump’s already disappointed with Spicer’s performance. Is it true?
Spicer and Kellyanne Conway have both been roasted for their alternative facts, but she clearly outmatches him (spinwise) and will even outlast the Bowling Green Massacre controversy. Whereas Spicer appears to not really enjoy his job, and his combative attitude towards the press means that Melissa McCarthy’s podium-throwing performance isn’t too far off the mark.
However, Spicer is apparently not on the chopping block. He’s currently doing double duty as Trump’s communications director — Jason Miller was supposed to fill that position but resigned during an adultery scandal — and Trump is now hunting for someone to fill that position to “lighten the load” on Spicer. Perhaps it really is all too much for one person to do, or maybe Trump truly is upset with Spicer’s performance. That’s what CNN’s saying, and Trump reportedly blames Chief of Staff Reince Priebus for recommending Spicer, although the White House is already pushing back on this report:
“Priebus vouched for Spicer and against Trump’s instincts,” the source said.
The President “regrets it every day and blames Priebus,” the source added.
But a senior administration official says Trump supports Spicer “100%.”
A separate West Wing source pushed back on the notion that Spicer is suddenly unpopular with Trump, saying “nothing could be further from the truth.”
This report is merely one of a media series that revolves around White House infighting. And while some leaks are to be expected, one former senior State Department official told Huffington Post, “I’ve been in this town for 26 years. I have never seen anything like this.” This would refer to both the quantity and seemingly volatile nature of what’s being leaked, and one can imagine that the atmosphere within Trump’s White House is filled with tension.
At any rate, the CNN report hints that Trump is deeply embarrassed both by the alternative facts meme and the SNL take on Spicer, and while he’s apparently not looking to get rid of the guy (yet — doing so right out of the gate would not be a good look), he’s reportedly harboring some angst against Priebus over the mess. And that might create some future fireworks.
(Via CNN & Huffington Post)