Sean Spicer Resigns As White Hous spokesman:
White House press secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned
Friday, ending a rocky six-month tenure that made his news briefings
defending President Donald Trump must-see TV. He said Trump's
communications team "could benefit from a clean slate" as the White
House seeks to steady operations amid the Russia investigations and
ahead of a health care showdown.
Spicer quit in protest over the hiring of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci, objecting to what Spicer considered his lack of qualifications as well as the direction of the press operation, according to people familiar with the situation. Scaramucci, a polished television commentator and Harvard Law graduate, quickly took center stage at a briefing, parrying questions from reporters and commending Trump in a 37-minute charm offensive.
As his first act on the job, Scaramucci announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders would be the new press secretary. She had been Spicer's deputy.
The shake-up on the communications team comes as Trump is suffering from dismal approval ratings and struggling to advance his agenda. The president has been frustrated by all the attention devoted to investigations of allegations of his election campaign's connections to Russia.
Trump, who watches the press briefings closely and believes he is his own best spokesman, in a statement saluted Spicer's "great ratings" on TV and said he was "grateful for Sean's work on behalf of my administration and the American people."
Scaramucci, in an appearance after his appointment was made official, flashed the television skills that Trump has long valued: He praised Trump's political instincts and competitiveness, cracked a few self-deprecating jokes and battled with reporters who categorized the West Wing as dysfunctional, saying "there is a disconnect" between the media and the way the public sees the president.
Spicer said during a brief phone conversation with The Associated Press that he felt it would be best for Scaramucci to build his own operation "and chart a new way forward." He tweeted that it had been an "honor" and "privilege" to serve Trump and that he would remain in his post through August.
His decision to quit took advisers inside and outside the White House by surprise, according to people with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the personnel matter publicly.
Spicer's daily press briefings had become must-watch television until recent weeks when he took on a more behind-the-scenes role. Sanders has largely taken over the briefings, turning them into off-camera events.
The White House has been looking for a new communications director for several weeks, but struggled to attract an experienced Republican hand. Scaramuuci began seriously talking to the White House about the position this week, and Trump formally offered him the job Friday morning.
Spicer quit in protest over the hiring of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci, objecting to what Spicer considered his lack of qualifications as well as the direction of the press operation, according to people familiar with the situation. Scaramucci, a polished television commentator and Harvard Law graduate, quickly took center stage at a briefing, parrying questions from reporters and commending Trump in a 37-minute charm offensive.
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Spicer Quits as Scaramucci Accepts White House Job
As his first act on the job, Scaramucci announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders would be the new press secretary. She had been Spicer's deputy.
The shake-up on the communications team comes as Trump is suffering from dismal approval ratings and struggling to advance his agenda. The president has been frustrated by all the attention devoted to investigations of allegations of his election campaign's connections to Russia.
Trump, who watches the press briefings closely and believes he is his own best spokesman, in a statement saluted Spicer's "great ratings" on TV and said he was "grateful for Sean's work on behalf of my administration and the American people."
Scaramucci, in an appearance after his appointment was made official, flashed the television skills that Trump has long valued: He praised Trump's political instincts and competitiveness, cracked a few self-deprecating jokes and battled with reporters who categorized the West Wing as dysfunctional, saying "there is a disconnect" between the media and the way the public sees the president.
Spicer said during a brief phone conversation with The Associated Press that he felt it would be best for Scaramucci to build his own operation "and chart a new way forward." He tweeted that it had been an "honor" and "privilege" to serve Trump and that he would remain in his post through August.
His decision to quit took advisers inside and outside the White House by surprise, according to people with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the personnel matter publicly.
Spicer's daily press briefings had become must-watch television until recent weeks when he took on a more behind-the-scenes role. Sanders has largely taken over the briefings, turning them into off-camera events.
The White House has been looking for a new communications director for several weeks, but struggled to attract an experienced Republican hand. Scaramuuci began seriously talking to the White House about the position this week, and Trump formally offered him the job Friday morning.
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