Tuesday, American Urban Radio Networks White House correspondent, April Ryan, asked White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer how the administration was working to “revamp their image” after two and a half months of bad press.
The exchange quickly became a heated one.
“With all these investigations, questions of what is is, how does this administration try to revamp its image? Two and a half months in — you’ve got this Yates story today, you’ve got other things going on, you’ve got Russia, you’ve got wiretapping…” began Ryan.
“No, we don’t have that,” snapped Spicer. “I’ve said that from the day that I got here until whenever that there’s no connection. You’ve got Russia. If the president puts Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that’s a Russian connection.” Ryan’s attempts to ask follow-up questions were spurned by Spicer who kept on, “at some point, report the facts.”
“At some point, the facts are what they are. Every single person who has been briefed on this situation, with respect to the situation with Russia, Republican, Democrat, Obama appointee, career, have all come to the same conclusion. At some point April, you’re gonna have to take “no” for an answer with respect to whether or not there was collusion.”
Last week, Spicer was equally as short with a reporter who asked whether Trump associates were cozy with Russia. Spicer took issue with the work “associate” and how the press uses it as a blanket catch-all.
In fact, Spicer is almost always testy with at least one reporter through the course of any press briefing. It’s why Saturday Night Live characterized him as an angry little man in a cold open sketch. It’s funny because it’s true.
Trump may have a Russia problem, he may not. But as of today, there’s only speculation and no public evidence of any nefarious Trump/Putin ties. If that changes, you can bet we’ll be blogging about it.
In the meantime, political media will continue to write countless headlines on circumstantial and speculative scenarios, and Spicer will continue to be annoyed.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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