Sean Spicer thinks reporters are using press briefings to try to become 'YouTube stars'
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer suspects reporters have an ulterior motive behind all those questions they ask at the White House press briefings. Rather than, say, trying to get a straight answer on whether President Trump believes in climate change, Spicer said Wednesday that he thinks reporters are asking "some snarky question that's been asked eight times" because "there's a lot of them that want to become YouTube stars."
In an interview on The Laura Ingraham Show, Spicer suggested this is why the White House has recently cut back on the number of daily, on-camera press briefings. "There is a bit of snarkiness now with the press, because, again, a lot of them are more focused about getting their clip on air than they are of actually taking the time to understand an issue," Spicer said.
He conceded that it's reporters' "right to do that" — seemingly referring to trying to become "YouTube stars" by asking questions — but he said it's the White House's job to "make sure that we've been providing updates and readouts of what the president is doing and the advances he is making on his agenda."
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He didn't explain how eight-day gaps between on-camera press briefings help the White House get that job done.
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