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Sean Spicer
30th White House Press Secretary
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2017
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJosh Earnest
White House Director of Communications
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2017
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJen Psaki
Personal details
BornSean Michael Spicer
(1971-09-23) September 23, 1971 (age 53)
Barrington, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse Rebecca Miller ​(m. 2004)​
Children2
EducationConnecticut College (BA)
Naval War College (MA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1999–present
Rank Commander
UnitU.S. Navy Reserve
Other offices held

Sean Michael Spicer (born September 23, 1971) is an American political strategist and the current White House Press Secretary and Communications Director for President Donald Trump.

Spicer was communications director of the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 and its chief strategist from 2015 to 2017.

On December 22, 2016, Spicer was named to become the White House Press Secretary. Two days later, Spicer was also named as the White House Communications Director, after Jason Miller backed out of taking the job. He assumed both positions with Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2017.

Spicer's first official statement as press secretary was criticized for making false claims regarding the inauguration's attendance numbers. In the conference, Spicer also claimed that the inauguration was "the most watched ever", but subsequently clarified that he was referring not only to live attendees at the ceremony or those watching on TV, but also viewers who watched the inauguration online.

Early life and education

Spicer was born in Barrington, Rhode Island, the son of Kathryn (née Grossman) and Michael William Spicer. His father was an insurance agent, and his mother was an academic manager.

Spicer attended Portsmouth Abbey School from 1985 to 1989. He attended Connecticut College from 1989 to 1993, graduating with a B.A. in Government. Spicer volunteered for local races in Rhode Island while in high school and continued those activities from across the state border while at college.

Career - 1993 to 2016

In 1999, Spicer joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as a public affairs officer; he currently holds the rank of Commander. In 2012, he received a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. As of December 2016, he is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's naval reserve contingent in Washington, D.C..

In the late 1990s, Spicer worked for Congressman Mike Pappas (R-NJ), Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL), and Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL). From 2000 to 2001 he was the communications director on the House Government Reform Committee, and from 2001 to 2002 he was director of incumbent retention at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

From 2003 to 2005, Spicer was the communications director and spokesman for the House Budget Committee. He subsequently was the communications director for the Republican Conference of the U.S. House of Representatives, and then, from 2006 to 2009, was the assistant U.S. Trade Representative for media and public affairs in President George W. Bush's administration.

Starting in early 2009, Spicer and two other Republicans, Gretchen Hamel, a former Bush administration staffer, and Nathan Imperiale, a Congressional aide, started Endeavor Global Strategies, a public relations firm. Spicer stopped working full-time at the firm in February 2011 when he became communications director of the Republican National Committee.

At the RNC, Spicer enlarged the organization's social media operations, built an in-house TV production team, and created a rapid response program to reply to attacks. In February 2015 he was given an additional role, as chief strategist for the party.

White House Press Secretary

On December 22, 2016, Spicer was named the White House Press Secretary for Donald Trump. On December 24, 2016, he was also named the Communications Director for Trump's presidency after Jason Miller resigned amid allegations of adultery with fellow Trump campaign staffer A. J. Delgado.

Spicer at press conference

On January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration and two days before his first official press conference, Spicer made a statement to the press in which he was highly critical of the media, saying they had allegedly underestimated the size of the crowds for President Trump's inaugural ceremony. He claimed that the ceremony had drawn the "largest audience to ever to witness an inauguration, period — both in person and around the globe." But as many sources immediately pointed out, that claim was false. Spicer falsely accused the press had altered images of the event to minimize the size of the crowds. He said floor coverings over the grass were to blame for a visual effect that made the audience look smaller, and stated they had never been used before; however, they had been used in 2013 for the preceding second inauguration of Barack Obama. He also used incorrect figures to claim that Metro ridership was higher during Trump's inauguration than during Obama's, when in fact it was lower than either of Obama's inaugurations. Spicer took no questions after his statement. It was later reported that Spicer had made the statement on direct orders from Trump, who was furious at what he considered unfair press coverage of his inauguration.

In response to the briefing, conservative political analyst Bill Kristol wrote: "It is embarrassing, as an American, to watch this briefing by Sean Spicer from the podium at the White House." Vanity Fair described Spicer's statement as "peppered with lies," and The Atlantic described Spicer's briefing as "bizarre." The article referred to the "Trump administration's needless lies" and noted that Spicer's statements appeared to involve a "deliberate attempt to mislead". Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post gave Spicer's claims four Pinocchios, claiming that he was so appalled by the press secretary's performance that he wished he could have given him five Pinocchios instead of the maximum number of four.

Trump's team defended Spicer's statements. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus stated that the purpose of Spicer's conference was to call out what he called "dishonesty in the media" and their "obsession with delegitimizing the president". Trump's campaign strategist and counselor, Kellyanne Conway, told NBC's Chuck Todd that Trump's inauguration crowd numbers could not be proved nor quantified and that the press secretary was simply giving "alternative facts". Todd responded by saying "Alternative facts are not facts. They are falsehoods."

Two days later, on January 23, 2017, Spicer held his first official White House press conference and took questions from reporters. Asked about attendance at the inauguration. he clarified that his definition of a viewing audience also included individuals who watched the event on television and social media online, claiming that online viewership must have been in the "tens of millions".

Personal

On November 13, 2004, Spicer married Rebecca Miller, a television producer, at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Washington D.C.

Spicer and his wife live in Alexandria, Virginia; they have two children. Spicer is Catholic. His wife is the top communications officer at the National Beer Wholesalers Association.

References

  1. "GOP Biography of Sean Spicer". GOP.com. Republican National Committee, USA. January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  2. "Sean Spicer: Executive Profile and Biography – Businessweek". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P.,USA. Retrieved January 3, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. "Sean Spicer Named Press Secretary". CNBC. December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  4. Alex, Isenstadt. "Jason Miller Backs Out of Trump White House Job". Politico.com. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
  5. ^ Benwell, Max (January 23, 2017). "White House press conference: When is it, how can I watch it, and what will Sean Spicer say?". The Independent. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  6. Johnson, Jenna (January 23, 2017). "Sean Spicer at press briefing: 'Our intention is never to lie to you'". Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  7. ^ "Fashion Weddings : Rebecca Miller & Sean Spicer". The New York Times. November 14, 2004. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  8. Lowry, Rich (December 1, 2016). "TRUMP on Twitter: I'll punish companies that ship jobs overseas – Pence's Power Play – Trump's tax nightmare – Spotted at Eric Wilson and Rachael Dean wedding – B'day: Al Hunt". Politico.com. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  9. ^ "Sean Spicer ('89) Shares Thoughts on Life and Leadership | Zilian Commentary". Zilianblog.com. August 31, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  10. ^ "Sean Spicer – Former Guest Speaker". Leadershipinstitute.org. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  11. Kalunian, Kim (December 26, 2016). "RI native Sean Spicer on journey to White House". WPRI 12 Eyewitness News. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  12. Times, Military. "The next White House Press Secretary is a Navy officer".
  13. Schmitt, Eric (May 2, 1997). "Bill Financing House Panels Passes as G.O.P. Rebels Gain". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  14. Morgan, Dan; Morgan, Dan (April 2, 1997). "On Hill, Campaign Duties Seldom Far Away". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  15. Glover, Cindy (March 19, 1999). "For Foley. 'Not Right Time' For Senate Race". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved January 19, 2017. Foley spokesman Sean Spicer said
  16. Vita, Matthew; Eilperin, Juliet (November 10, 2000). "House Race Recounts Also May Be Crucial". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  17. ^ "Republican National Committee (RNC) Organization 2015,". www.p2016.org. Democracy in Action. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  18. ^ Alexander, David (December 23, 2016). "Trump taps RNC's Spicer for White House spokesman". Reuters. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  19. Ariel Alexovich and Jacqueline Klingebiel. "Suite Talk March 12, 2009". Politico. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  20. Cillizza, Chris (February 24, 2011). "Sean Spicer chosen as RNC communications director". Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  21. Preston, Mark (February 1, 2015). "Top RNC communicator expands role". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  22. Byers, Dylan (December 22, 2016). "Trump Picks Sean Spicer as White House Press Secretary, Jason Miller as Communications Director". CNN. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  23. "Transition adviser's tweets add intrigue to Trump aide Jason Miller's sudden resignation". The Washington Post. December 25, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  24. ^ Cillizza, Chris (January 21, 2017). "Sean Spicer held a press conference. He didn't take questions. Or tell the whole truth". Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  25. "White House press secretary attacks media for accurately reporting inauguration crowds". CNN.com. January 21, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  26. Bennett, Brian (January 22, 2017). "What the White House said about Trump's inauguration crowd and how it was wrong". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  27. Helsel, Phil (January 21, 2017). "Trump Press Secretary Slams Media Over Inauguration Crowd Size Coverage". NBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  28. Siddiqui, Faiz (January 23, 2017). "Trump White House admits its Metro ridership figures for Inauguration Day were wrong". Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  29. "The first days inside Trump's White House: Fury, tumult and a reboot". Washington Post. january 23, 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. Bill Kristol (January 21, 2017). "It is embarrassing, as an American, to watch this briefing by Sean Spicer from the podium at the White House. Not the RNC. The White House" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017 – via Twitter.
  31. Makarechi, Kia. "Trump Spokesman's Lecture on Media Accuracy Is Peppered With Lies".
  32. Graham, David A. "'Alternative Facts': The Needless Lies of the Trump Administration".
  33. "Spicer earns Four Pinocchios for false claims on inauguration crowd size". Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  34. "Chris Wallace Grills Priebus: 'How Does Arguing About Crowd Size' Help the American People?". www.mediaite.com. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  35. "Kellyanne Conway: Spicer 'gave alternative facts' on inauguration crowd". NBC News. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  36. "Kellyanne Conway cites 'alternative facts' in tense interview with Chuck Todd over false crowd size claims".
  37. "White House spokesman Sean Spicer's first official press conference".
  38. "Sean Spicer Takes Questions From Media During First White House Briefing - CBSN Live Video - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  39. Johnson, Jenna (January 23, 2017). "Sean Spicer at press briefing: 'Our intention is never to lie to you'". Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  40. "RNC's Sean Spicer plagued by Twitter trolls on Ash Wednesday". Washington Times. February 12, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  41. Who Is Sean Spicer? 10 Things to Know About Trump's Pick for Press Secretary. By Kayleigh Roberts. Cosmopolitan. January 22, 2017
  42. National Beer Wholesalers Association, Rebecca Spicer. Web site.

External links

Political offices
Preceded byJen Psaki White House Director of Communications
2017–present 		Incumbent
Preceded byJosh Earnest White House Press Secretary
2017–present
White House Press Secretaries
Categories: