Sean Spicer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sean Spicer
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Spicer in 2017
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| 30th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – July 21, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| Preceded by | Josh Earnest |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| White House Communications Director | |
| Acting June 2, 2017 – July 21, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Michael Dubke |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Scaramucci |
| Acting January 20, 2017 – March 6, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Jen Psaki |
| Succeeded by | Michael Dubke |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sean Michael Spicer
September 23, 1971 Manhasset, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Rebecca Miller
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Connecticut College (BA) Naval War College (MA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1999–present |
| Rank |  Commander |
| Unit | U.S. Navy Reserve |
| Awards | Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device  National Defense Service Medal  Defense Meritorious Service Medal (X2)  Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal  Joint Service Achievement Medal (X2)  Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal  Expert Pistol Marksman  Global War on Terrorism Service Medal  Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal  Antarctica Service Medal  |
Sean Michael Spicer (born September 23, 1971) is an American political aide. He worked for President Donald Trump in 2017. During that time, he was the 30th White House Press Secretary and also the White House Communications Director.
Before working for President Trump, Spicer was the communications director for the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017. He was also their chief strategist from 2015 to 2017. Since 2023, Spicer has been a political contributor for the TV network NewsNation. He also co-hosts a daily podcast called The Morning Meeting.
While he was the White House press secretary, Spicer made some public statements that caused controversy. He also had a difficult relationship with reporters who covered the White House. He resigned from his role on July 21, 2017. After leaving the White House, Spicer wrote a book called The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President. He also appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sean Spicer was born in Manhasset, New York. He grew up in Rhode Island. His father worked in insurance, and his mother worked at Brown University. Spicer was raised Catholic.
From 1985 to 1989, he attended Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic boarding school. While in high school, he volunteered for local political campaigns. He continued to do this in college.
Spicer went to Connecticut College from 1989 to 1993. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government. In 2012, he earned a master's degree from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Early Career in Politics
After college in 1993, Spicer worked on several political campaigns. In the late 1990s, he worked for different U.S. Representatives.
In 1999, Spicer joined the United States Navy Reserve as a public affairs officer. He currently holds the rank of Commander. As of 2016, he was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's naval reserve group in Washington, D.C..
Government Roles Before the White House
From 2000 to 2001, Spicer was the communications director for the House Government Reform Committee. From 2001 to 2002, he worked for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
From 2003 to 2005, Spicer was the communications director for the House Budget Committee. He later worked for the Republican Conference of the U.S. House of Representatives. From 2006 to 2009, he was an assistant for media and public affairs in President George W. Bush's administration. Spicer also served as an elector from Virginia in the 2004 United States presidential election.
Working with the Republican National Committee
In February 2011, Spicer became the communications director for the Republican National Committee (RNC). At the RNC, he helped grow the organization's social media presence. He also created a team to quickly respond to political attacks. In February 2015, he also became the chief strategist for the Republican Party.
While at the RNC, Spicer sometimes disagreed with then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. For example, in June 2015, after Trump made comments about immigrants, Spicer said it was "not helpful." In July 2015, he criticized Trump's comments about U.S. Senator John McCain, saying such remarks had "no place in our party or our country."
White House Press Secretary for Trump
On December 22, 2016, Sean Spicer was named the White House press secretary for Donald Trump. Two days later, he was also named the communications director for the Trump administration.
A poll in April 2017 showed that many people knew who Spicer was. His name recognition was 60%, which was higher than most other White House staff members.
First Statement to the Press
On January 21, 2017, the day after President Trump's inauguration, Spicer made a statement to the press. He criticized the media, saying they had underestimated the size of the crowds at the inauguration. He claimed it was the "largest audience to ever to witness an inauguration, period." However, many sources quickly pointed out that this claim was not true.
Spicer also said the press had changed images to make the crowds look smaller. He claimed that floor coverings made the audience look smaller, even though these had been used before. He also used incorrect numbers for Metro ridership. Spicer did not answer any questions after his statement. It was later reported that President Trump had directly ordered Spicer to make this statement.
Many people criticized Spicer's statement. One political analyst called it "embarrassing." Vanity Fair said Spicer's statement was "peppered with lies." Kellyanne Conway, a Trump aide, later said Spicer had presented "alternative facts" about the inauguration crowd numbers.
First Official Press Conference
Two days later, on January 23, 2017, Spicer held his first official White House press conference. He took questions from reporters. When asked about inauguration attendance, he said his definition included people who watched on TV and online. He claimed online viewership was in the "tens of millions."
In February 2017, CNN reported that President Trump was not happy with Spicer's performance. Trump was also upset with Reince Priebus for recommending Spicer for the job.
Controversial Remarks and Apology
On April 11, 2017, Spicer made a statement about a chemical attack in Syria. He said that Adolf Hitler "didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." He also referred to concentration camps as "Holocaust centers." These remarks were widely criticized, especially because they happened during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Spicer later clarified that he was not denying Hitler's use of gas during the Holocaust. He said he was trying to compare how the Syrian leader used bombs on people to how Hitler used gas. Spicer apologized the next day.
Relationship with Reporters
As White House press secretary, Spicer often had a difficult relationship with reporters. In February 2017, the White House prevented some news outlets, like CNN and The New York Times, from attending a briefing with Spicer. This action caused strong objections from the news organizations. Reporters from the Associated Press and Time magazine chose not to attend in protest.
Resignation from the White House
On July 21, 2017, Spicer announced he would resign as White House Press Secretary. He made this decision after President Trump appointed Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director. Spicer had reportedly wanted a more strategic role in the White House. President Trump had also been unhappy with Spicer's performance for some time.
According to The New York Times, Trump asked Spicer to stay. However, Spicer resigned after telling the President he "vehemently disagreed" with Scaramucci's appointment. Spicer tweeted that it had been "an honor and a privilege" to serve Trump. Sarah Sanders was announced as the new White House Press Secretary that same day.
After the White House
After leaving the White House, Spicer was reportedly not offered jobs as a paid contributor at major U.S. TV news networks. Some anonymous sources said this was due to a "lack of credibility."
On September 17, 2017, Spicer made a short appearance at the 2017 Emmy Awards. He joked about his first press conference as press secretary. He said the Emmys broadcast would have "the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period." The following week, he gave an interview to The New York Times.
Spicer announced in December 2017 that he would release a book called The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President in July 2018. The book was about his time with the Trump administration.
In July 2019, President Trump announced his plan to appoint Spicer to the Board of Visitors for the United States Naval Academy. In September 2021, President Joe Biden asked for resignation letters from all former military academy appointees from the previous administration, including Spicer. Spicer's lawsuit to challenge his removal from the board was dismissed in 2022.
In August 2019, Spicer was announced as a contestant on season 28 of Dancing with the Stars. This announcement received some criticism. Spicer responded by saying that Dancing "is an entertainment show. I look forward to having some fun." During the season premiere, Spicer wore a bright lime green shirt with ruffles while dancing.
In March 2020, Spicer started hosting a political talk show for Newsmax TV called Spicer & Co. The show ended in April 2023 when Spicer and his co-host left Newsmax.
Spicer attended President Trump's farewell event on January 20, 2021. He currently works as a political contributor for NewsNation and co-hosts the podcast The Morning Meeting.
Personal Life
On November 13, 2004, Sean Spicer married Rebecca Miller. At the time, she was a television producer. They were married at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. Spicer and his wife live in Alexandria, Virginia. They have two children. His wife is a senior vice president for communications and public affairs at the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Spicer is Roman Catholic.
See also
In Spanish: Sean Spicer para niños
- White House Fellows
