Unpacking the Mixed Messaging from the White House Press Podium
Rhonda Adams, New York based entrepreneurThe Trump administration’s increasingly toxic relationship with the mainstream Washington press corps took a possible turn for the better when Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stood in for her recently embarrassed boss. Sean Spicer has bounced between caustic exchanges with the media and comedic moments at his expense, including a recent report that Spicer “hid in the bushes” to avoid the press.Meanwhile, the corps seemed initially happy with Sanders, who took her first outing in front of the cameras in stride. Reporters watching live as well as those watching the interview back on tape said she did a good job, appearing both calmer and more open than her boss. Then the other shoe dropped.
After mixed messages about the firing of (now former) FBI Director James Comey, trust in the administration’s surrogates isn’t high, so it’s true Sanders faced a daunting, if not all but impossible, second time at bat. But this briefing was, potentially, worse than all that. Sanders, as many of Trump’s people have before, offered a contradictory and somewhat obfuscating version of why and how Comey was fired.While smoke and mirrors from a White House Press Secretary are hardly new ground – it’s been called part of the job by some – the break in narrative between spokespeople and Trump is becoming something of a legend in DC press circles. Trump’s people will offer one account of an incident and Trump will then tweet out a different version.As philanthropist Daniel Palmier noted, “Sanders, however, chose to stand up in front of the cameras and insist, all evidence to the contrary, that the administration’s story was consistent. That’s a tough sell, and it’s one that a growing number of US voters are less willing to accept. While none of the scandals, missteps, and controversies coming out of the Trump White House have put off many of the hard-core Trump fans – something like only two percent of Trump fans say they regret their vote – others are becoming increasingly angry, distrustful, and vocal about it.”Sanders might have struggled to be convincing just sticking to the, often contrary, talking point, however, she may have officially jumped the shark by saying that she had personally talked with “countless” FBI officials who were frustrated with Comey’s leadership.” This assertion was almost immediately denigrated by acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, who told a Senate committee that Sanders’ statement was not accurate.In a follow-up session in front of the media cameras, Sanders was asked to confirm her earlier report, which the acting director contradicted. Sanders said she had spoken to FBI officials, but then refused to elaborate. Reactions to this latest breach of trust are all over the map, mostly falling along general political lines. What happens next is anyone’s guess..
