"I do not think he misses the White House": Sean Spicer takes advantage of his post-Trump period | American News

Perched on a stool, down to earth, Sean Spicer wore a white open-collar shirt, a shiny blue jacket and dark blue jeans. He adjusted the microphone. Behind him, a neon sign gave the name of the place, Pearl Street Warehouse. This could have been the beginning of a comic routine in a dimly lit club.

Maybe that was the case. Spicer, 46, was speaking at a launch party for his memoirs, the first of Donald Trump's administration by one of his elders. "I have the impression of receiving questions again," said the former White House press secretary as he began a sweet interview on stage that culminated with him. by launching rumors about an appearance of Dancing with the Stars. an American and you could have a laugh and memories of his unfortunate gaffes, poorly fitting costumes and the indelible impression of Melissa McCarthy with motorized lectern on Saturday Night Live. Tell someone else and you could have a grimace with a diagnosis of the role that he played in the corruption of the national discourse and the concept of the truth itself. A year after his sudden departure from the West Wing, he remains a tragic-comical figure in a way that his ruthlessly disciplined successor, Sarah Sanders, is not.

"It's the kind of humor you see in Stalin's film Armando Iannucci," said Michael Cornfield, a political scientist at George Washington University in Washington. "It's not so bad – people are not murdered – but the willingness to lower in the eagerness to please the boss is the same."

Spicer was a Republican official of trusted communications when he was called to become spokesman for the most unconventional American president of modern times. Trump's tendency to be his own spokesperson, to tweet unilaterally at any time and to adopt a sharp fighting style in the world of New York tabloids would be wrong with the most seasoned public relations operator.

Michael Caputo, communications consultant who has known Trump for three decades, said, "I think Sean Spicer has had the toughest communication job on the planet. at the most difficult time possible and has served very well. He handled it with aplomb. "

But five minutes were all that it took to destroy Spicer's reputation in the eyes of half of the nation." On January 21, 2017, a day after Trump's inauguration, He entered the White House briefing room and aggressively told the media: "This was the biggest audience of a period of inauguration – in person and around the world." Spicer remembers: "The fact checkers said my pants were on fire, fashion critics mocked my light gray striped suit for the way. My first appearance in front of the media in the press conference room set an unfortunate precedent for a belligerent press facing an equally belligerent press secretary. "

He went back to his office, he writes, waiting for a" Attaboy "from the president.But Trump was not happy." He did not like that I did not take no questions. He thought I was hooked on the wrong questions. He wanted to know why I had not executed my statement by him. "

Spicer was concerned that he was fired.He was not, but he bought four new suits." For weeks afterwards, I was getting emails and letters from tailors and personal stylists who were all looking to "help." What a first day. "

At his book launch in Washington, for which a few ticket packets sold for as much as $ 1,000, he added:" If I could get a Moreover, it would be him.The spell was cast that day. "

Indeed, the next morning, White House lawyer Kellyanne Conway defended the use of" alternative facts "by Spicer. He laid the foundation stone for what critics consider a house of lies. A line can be drawn from the press secretary's first statement to Trump's scary badertion to an audience of veterans this week: "Stay with us, do not believe the shit you see from these people , the false news.Be remember, what you see and what you read is not what happens. "

" The first press conference was an important event and Sean Spicer was the launches, "said Cornfield. "He went out to deny the visual reality and signal to everyone that now Trump is president, he will still be divisive, not a rallying man, and there is no honeymoon. did this earthy and challenging way that shocked everyone.He lost everyone in the first 24 hours – that's his legacy. "

Asked if he wants to laugh or cry at Spicer Cornfield replied, "You want to do both."

" I actually reminded him, "do you remember I said that? "No, not really." And I say, "Son of a bitch, of course, to hell, he was six months old." He laughs. "

Spicer is just a number. record of the White House staff and few give any sign of regretting their departures.He remains employed as a naval reservist, is paid for public speeches, co-organizes a podcast and would develop a talk show with the tentative title "Sean Spicer & # 39; s Common Ground. "He appears regularly at book launches, embbady events and other evenings on the Washington circuit. There are still some ridiculous interludes, for example the green and white pants that he wears on St. Patrick's Day.

On the weekends, he is with his family, sometimes organizing children's parties. He is also seen on the sidelines of his children's baseball, football and lacrosse games, as well as their dance recitals and Scout meetings.

His friend Ben Marchi, owner of a health care company, said: that these six months in the White House, it's time with his family that he will never back. So, I think it's catching up, taking advantage of that, in addition to the talking circuit. "

Marchi, 40, added," I do not think he misses the White House. It's like a lot of experiences in life. You are glad you did it. But it's like going to VMI [Virginia Military Institute]. I am glad to have gone there. I would not take a million dollars to do it again. "

Spicer also spent his life after Trump worked on the book, The Briefing, a self-righteous 278-page book that puts him under the same moral judgment as everyone who leaves Trump's White House – explaining why he served as an apologist and facilitator for a man widely accused of racial division, badual harbadment and disregard for the truth.

Anyone who hoped for a fictitious West Wing account is disappointed. is, writes ironic Spicer, "a unicorn, riding a unicorn on a rainbow."

Sales have been slow, critics are withering Jonathan Karl, chief correspondent of ABC News, wrote in the Wall Street Journal: "Mr. Spicer's book looks a lot like

Karl noted errors in the book as a reference to the author of the infamous Trump dossier as "Michael Steele", who is in truth the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, not the only one. 39, former British spy Christopher Steele Spicer refers to a press conference of the White House with Barack Obama in 1999 – when Bill Clinton was president

In the Washington Post, Erik Wemple delivered this verdict: "The Briefing is not a political memoir, nor a work of recent history, nor a tell-all, nor a tell-anything . It's rather an awkward attempt to chirp Americans for that they doubt what they saw with their own eyes as early as June 2015, when Trump announced his candidacy and called Mexican immigrants rapists, starting a series of racist attacks. "

" You Corrupted the Speech for the World "

Spicer's also embarked on a book tour that includes interviews ranging from fawning to accusatory. , Emily Maitlis challenged: "You corrupted the speech for the whole world by going with these lies."

But others who stood at the White House tribune are reluctant to criticize Spicer: Mike McCurry, a Clinton press secretary, said, "He had a tough job defending an indefensible boss and he did about as good as anyone could in those circumstances."

"Sean has a lot references to his credit. He will be the press secretary of the White House and this will be very useful throughout his career. "

One could argue that Spicer's greatest untruth was for himself." He was an infantryman in a Republican party that was targeted by Trump for a hostile takeover, succumbed without much fight and still tries to solve an identity crisis. "Tish Randall, 45, who works in the Navy and knows Spicer for about 10 years, said:" I think being a press secretary does not mean that I'm going to be in trouble. was nothing. who he really is. The person you saw on TV is not at all him.

"He's so sweet, so funny, hilarious, very caring, strong in his faith, it's hard work, I would not want this job, it's probably the most difficult job." in the cabinet.I think that he just had to play the role but it's not at all that it's at all.What he believed or not, he had to do his work. "

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