After a bizarre first press briefing earlier this week in which Sean Spicer slammed the media for their obsession with Trump’s inaugural crowd sizes, Spicer is set to take questions once again from an undoubtedly anxious press corps starting at 3:30PM EST. Although yesterday’s briefing was somewhat more subdued, we suspect the press will be eager to pepper Spicer with questions regarding Trump’s rapid-fire signing of several executive orders aimed squarely at dismantling key components of Obama’s “legacy”.
And while yesterday’s breifing was somewhat more subued than his first, Spicer sent a clear message that White House Press Breifings going forward will be anything but “traditional” by calling on the New York Post and the Christian Broadcasting Network for his first questions.
Sean Spicer, the new White House press secretary, made it clear in his first official briefing that, like his boss, he would break with Washington precedents. After he stepped to the lectern yesterday and read a lengthy readout of the President’s day—three Presidential memoranda signed and several meetings with corporate C.E.O.s, union officials, and congressional leaders—he called on his first news organization, the New York Post.
So it was no surprise when Spicer ignored the first row of correspondents from the major news wires and TV networks and selected the Post, whose correspondent inquired, “When will you guys commence the building of the border wall?”
From the Post, Spicer moved on to a reporter from the Christian Broadcasting Network, who asked about abortion policy. Spicer eventually came back to the mainstream outlets in the front row. He did a commendable job of taking questions from a wide range of news organizations in a briefing that lasted well beyond the typical time period. He announced one change to the format: he would soon bring in reporters from outside Washington to ask questions via Skype, a modernization that seems harmless. Once Spicer got going, the briefing seemed almost routine—almost.
With that, tune in below to see what surprises will today’s briefing will bring.
via http://ift.tt/2jVYBwb Tyler Durden