Stephen Bannon blames the prevalence of off-camera briefings on Sean Spicer getting 'fatter'


As the press protests increasingly restrictive access to the White House, Press Secretary Sean Spicer is reportedly looking to move on from his job. Spicer is now "kind of useless," CNN's Jim Acosta vented as the White House has transitioned on-camera briefings to off-camera, and recently updated guidance to clarify that audio from the briefings cannot be used elsewhere, either.
While the press has blamed President Trump for attempting to "insulate himself from answering hard questions," in the words of Acosta, White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon has another explanation:
Neither Spicer nor deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders responded to queries about the changes to the briefings. Asked why the briefings are now routinely held off-camera, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said in a text message "Sean got fatter," and did not respond to a follow-up. [The Atlantic]
Rumor has it Spicer is considering a "new senior role to both the communications director and press secretary" — off-camera.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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