Incoming White House press secretary says 'business as usual is over'

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published 29 December 2016

In case it wasn't already obvious, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer made it crystal clear Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump won't let tradition dictate his relationship with the media. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Spicer announced that "business as usual is over" when it comes to how the president interacts with the media and the American people. "I think the thing you've seen with Donald Trump is that he doesn't, he doesn't look to the past and say I've got to conform to these precedents," Spicer said. "He figures out what's the best way."

Spicer indicated news conferences will probably continue, as they're "part of the fabric of our country," but that the Trump administration will also do Facebook town halls or "solicit input from Twitter." "When he talks about Americans first, he means I don't care what a bunch of elites tell me or people at a dinner party," Spicer said about Trump's plans. "He wants to know what American workers care about, what American families care about, what's going to help American businesses grow. And so, yes, if we have to maintain some traditions, we'll maintain them."