White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer delivered a press briefing on Tuesday for the first time in more than two weeks, and it appears he was missed for all the wrong reasons — at least according to Twitter reactions from reporters.
Since Spicer’s last briefing, there has been widespread speculation that his role would be reduced and he even missed out on a chance to meet the Pope during President Trump’s foreign trip. Politico even reported last week that Spicer would no longer be expected to do a daily, on-camera briefing after the president’s foreign trip — but he did conduct one on the first business day since Trump returned home.
American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan, who Spicer has sparred with in the past, started out the social media fun by suggesting that the press secretary colored his hair.
The briefing is underway and noticed as Sean speaks last weeks the foreign trip, he has colored his hair. Or at least it looks like it!
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) May 30, 2017
Other reports tweeted that Spicer looked “dead inside” and “has lost the light in his eyes.”
Spicer started out the contentious briefing with a lengthy recap of the president’s trip, which Ryan quickly mocked.
Can you say filibuster!
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) May 30, 2017
Spicer didn’t provide much information during the Q&A portion of the briefing, dodging questions about the ongoing investigation into Russian interference with the presidential election and the president’s thoughts on anonymous sources. Spicer’s name quickly started trending on Twitter when the briefing began and the majority of comments aren’t exactly complimentary.
Check out some of the Twitter reaction:
Sean Spicer is like the guy who cleans up the elephant poop at the circus and is proud to be in show business.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) May 30, 2017
Sean Spicer is dead inside
— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) May 30, 2017
Heard in Mother Jones DC bureau: Sean Spicer "has lost all the light in his eyes."
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 30, 2017
“I think what I just said speaks for itself.”
— Sean Spicer, 5/30/17— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) May 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/davidgura/status/869622332125573120
Sean Spicer on President Trump’s foreign trip: It was historic. Historic! HISTORIC!
— Matt Viser (@mviser) May 30, 2017
Just now, @PressSec Sean Spicer refused to defend this blatantly hypocritical RT by @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/GGE5x2Jaf5
— Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) May 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/869619495421317120
Sean Spicer gives a verbal press release for 10 minutes. Takes questions for about 20 minutes. Then leaves.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) May 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/CillizzaCNN/status/869624877191450626
MSNBC: "Sean Spicer, leaving the White House briefing room at the first sign of trouble…"
— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) May 30, 2017
sean spicer took questions for as long as trump touched The Orb 🔮
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) May 30, 2017
This is Sean Spicer’s most embarrassing press conference since his first one and somehow the most embarrassing moment of MY life? Weird.
— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) May 30, 2017
Reporter yells, "Is Kushner fake news?" as Sean Spicer hightails it out of the daily press briefing.
— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) May 30, 2017
TIL Sean Spicer has no idea whether or not @realDonaldTrump believes in man-made climate change. #PressBriefing pic.twitter.com/W5C0cirgN2
— Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) May 30, 2017
Since he walked out after condemning unnamed sources, here's a question for @PressSec: How many times has White House briefed anonymously?
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) May 30, 2017
-Spicer asked for an example of fake news
-Back and forth with reporters on fake news stories
-Multiple reporters booed Spicer as he left— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 30, 2017
That White House press briefing was fairly unbelievable.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) May 30, 2017
Kind of felt for @PressSec, grappling w/questions about his own status. Maybe, "I'm not going to comment on that" would have been best."
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 30, 2017
They had parts of 4 days to get the Kushner story straight and WH has decided not to clarify anything or offer much of an altern explanation
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) May 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/therealezway/status/869630958638690304