Sean Spicer is all the rage right now — and boy, is he full of rage — after he set the stage with a stormy 5-minute briefing on Saturday, where he angrily berated the press for (accurately) reporting on Trump’s “crowd size.” Spicer backed up his boss by claiming it was the biggest inaugural crowd in history, and Kellyanne Conway insisted that these are not lies but “alternative facts.” More manic disaster was bound to happen, and it did.
As it turns out, Spicer’s first real day in the White House press room was equally volatile but drawn out to primetime soap-opera length, and damn, so painful. He still can’t tell the difference between facts and opinions, and he ranted multiple times about the media and crowd size again. Somewhere in there, some actual policy discussion (about Trump pulling the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership) occurred in 15-second bursts. Yet some, like Michael Moore, thought that Spicer appeared to be perpetually reading a “prepared lie,” sort of “like a hostage tape.”
Sean Spicer, forced stand in front of the entire White House press corps, read from a prepared text and lie. It looks like a hostage tape.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 23, 2017
Overall, it seems like Spicer’s not enjoying the Trump ride and may be hoping for Conway to swoop in and put him on the back burner. Wouldn’t you? Conway doesn’t mind being called out on her spin — in response, she only cranks up her machine. Spicer, however, seems like a more sensitive soul. He’s having a terrible time, yet the Internet is enjoying what appears to be a man on the verge of a tantrum.
I think @seanspicer is confusing the White House press briefing room for a therapist's office. https://t.co/QCuMckFBSo
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) January 23, 2017
Sean Spicer is not cut out for this job. Dude is a whiner. He is begging the media to have mercy on him. Welcome to prime time baby!!!
— Jonathan Newton, Esq. (@AskAttorneyNewt) January 23, 2017
live stream of @seanspicer presser pic.twitter.com/PTQfqL1OGn
— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) January 23, 2017
I'm literally cringing at this 10 min cry baby rant by #seanspicer. Did he miss the memo about what his job entails? #WHPressCorps
— sarah (@sarahjmtl) January 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/BCAppelbaum/status/823620034157309953
does @seanspicer need a safe space? https://t.co/rsU81axPky
— jake (@jakebeckman) January 23, 2017
I get it now. Sean Spicer just wants you all to get off Donald Trump's lawn.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 23, 2017
Beyond the obvious temperament issues, some folks also didn’t believe a darn thing that came out of Spicer’s mouth. That’s not an unexpected result after Saturday’s “Soviet-like” sweet nothings to the press.
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/823605769048363008
https://twitter.com/matthaig1/status/823615144013996032
.@seanspicer: "Sometimes we can disagree with the facts."
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. pic.twitter.com/b1SH4eMcls
— Hrishikesh Hirway (@HrishiHirway) January 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/WorldofIsaac/status/823620318505922560
https://twitter.com/davelozo/status/823621421838368768
https://twitter.com/Rizzmigizz/status/823620227804102656
Sean Spicer is that dude who will argue with the cashier until they accept his 3-year old coupon.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) January 23, 2017
Well, hey. Tomorrow is another day, and there shall be another press briefing. Something to look forward to, perhaps? Spicer likely doesn’t think so.