White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Journalists Express Mixed Feelings On Attending White House Christmas Party

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Photo courtesy the White House

Following CNN’s announcement they will not attend the annual White House Christmas party for the media, other reporters have expressed mixed responses and reservations over socializing with an administration that often lambastes mainstream journalists as “fake news.”

For example, New York Magazine’s Olivia Nuzzi wrote in an email to Politico that:

“While I don’t think it’s improper to attend social events with the president per se, I personally am uncomfortable with the idea of being a guest in this White House for a party (if I would not be covering the party), given Donald Trump’s stated threats to the First Amendment and general lack of understanding or interest in its importance. For that reason, my personal feelings are that it sends the wrong message to schmooze under mistletoe while our freedoms are under attack. That said, I don’t judge colleagues who arrive at a different conclusion.”

Another White House correspondent, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the record about this topic, said that he would attend the holiday event.

“I do get bothered [by the attacks on the press].  But I don’t view it as our role to engage in a fight with the president. I think that it’s our role to keep doing our jobs reporting the news and not treat it like we’re two warring institutions of American democracy. We don’t need to reciprocate that attitude.”

CNN announced earlier this week it would not be accepting the White House invitation, although they would send a reporting team to the event and report on any relevant news that may come out of the party.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded by posting on Twitter that “Christmas comes early!” because of CNN’s decision.


The White House Christmas party is held annually, and is normally a casual event where reporters mingle off-the-record with administration officials and staff.

President Trump Suggests Challenge to NBC’s Broadcast License

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump tweeted that NBC’s broadcast license should be “challenged” and the network is “[b]ad for country!”

There is no license granted by the federal government to NBC or any national network. However, individual stations and affiliates are registered with the FCC — including more than 200 NBC affiliates. This registration is for the broadcast license at local stations, and not associated with a network’s news division or non-news programming.  The purpose of these licenses is to prevent different stations from transmitting their signals on overlapping wavelengths, which would block individuals from tuning in.

The president’s comments come on the heels of a recent NBC News story citing three unnamed officials who were “in the room” of an executive briefing.  In the story, NBC News stated that Trump sought to increase the U.S. nuclear arsenal tenfold.

Asked about recent statements by the President about “fake” news, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded that “the president is an incredible advocate of the first amendment.”

Spicer Regrets Arguing With Reporters Over Inauguration Crowd Size

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James Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer regrets berating journalists during his first White House press briefing in January.  During this session, Spicer had aggressively asserted the inauguration crowd size was the largest ever.

“Of course I do, absolutely,” Spicer admitted during an interview Monday with the New York Times.

During the first official appearance in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Spicer announced that “[t]his was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.  Both in person and around the globe.”

Photos and videos of the inauguration showed fewer people gathered on the National Mall than for former President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.  Additionally, Nielsen data suggests the television audience for the Trump inauguration fell below numbers for both Presidents Reagan and Obama.

Spicer made a surprise guest appearance at the Emmys on Sunday to make fun of this notable first briefing.  Appearing at the end of Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue, the former press secretary emerged on stage pushing a mobile podium similar to one used by Melissa McCarthy in a popular Saturday Night Live skit.

“This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period.  Both in-person and around the world,” Spicer responded to Colbert.

“This was an attempt to poke a little fun at myself and add a little bit of levity to the event,” Spicer explained during in his interview with the New York Times.

Hope Hicks Named White House Communications Director

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy White House.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that longtime aide Hope Hicks will become the official White House communications director.

Currently the White House director of strategic communications, Hicks has been serving as interim communications director after the firing of Anthony Scaramucci in August.

Hicks has worked for Trump even before his campaign for president, starting as public relations and model for Ivanka Trump’s fashion label.  As Trump started his campaign for president, Hicks joined as campaign press secretary.

There has been significant turnover in the White House press team, with the first communications director, Mike Dubke, leaving last May, followed by Scaramucci serving 10 days in that role. Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer also resigned in July.

Presidential Aide Hope Hicks Takes On Expanded Communications Role in White House

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy White House.

White House director of strategic communications Hope Hicks is stepping into an expanded role with new responsibilities as the administration searches for its third communications director since January.

Hicks will take on the duties normally assigned to the communications director on an unofficial and temporarily basis.  She will also work with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on finding a permanent replacement for the communications director role in the administration.

She is one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted aides, having served as press secretary of his presidential campaign in 2015.  Hicks also has close ties to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser.

The communications director role has been vacant since Anthony Scaramucci was fired by newly-appointed White House chief of staff John Kelly only 10 days after joining the administration.  Prior to that, Mike Dubke served in that role for 88 days, with a friend saying he was frustrated with the disorganization within the executive branch.

Huckabee Sanders: Televised White House Briefings to Remain ‘For Now’

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Last week, new White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave tepid support to returning to the tradition that White House press briefings would likely remain on-camera, potentially defusing an issue of contention with the press corps.

“Yeah, I think for now,” she said in an interview with The New York Times. “We’ll see what happens.”

Sanders was promoted to press secretary after her predecessor, Sean Spicer, resigned following the announcement that Anthony Scaramucci would be appointed White House communications director. Less than two weeks later, Scaramucci was fired by incoming chief of staff John Kelly.

She also recently took over the White House press secretary’s Twitter handle from Spicer, which has been handed down to staffers in that role since the Obama administration.

Sean Spicer Turns Down “Dancing With The Stars”

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Daniel Lippman, Tammy Haddad, Sean Spicer. Photo courtesy of Haddad Media.

The next season of “Dancing With The Stars” will be a bit less Spicy, as outgoing White House staffer Sean Spicer has turned down an offer to compete on the dance floor.

While Spicer reportedly was flattered by the offer, he rejected it due to “an overwhelming number of commitments in the Fall.”

Friends and colleagues also say that the former press secretary would be challenged with appearing on the show.  “He’s not a good dancer,” one source told the online Hollywood and entertainment news blog TMZ.

Spicer is in contact with most major TV and cable news networks for interview opportunities once he leaves the White House.  He also has been in contact with Hollywood agencies, in hopes of securing some television appearances, along with pursuing a book deal and several speaking arrangements.

“Dancing With The Stars” is scheduled to air its 25th season on ABC starting September 18.

 

UPDATED: Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci Cancels Live Stream Event

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

UPDATE:  Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has cancelled his plan for a live stream event on Friday, citing family and work.

Original Story:

After being fired by newly-installed White House chief of staff John Kelly, former communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN he will hold an online forum on Friday.

Scaramucci served as White House communications director for only ten days, before being removed by Kelly on Monday.

The event will be available on several public outlets throughout the day, with the help of former Fox News executive Bill Shine.

The former White House staffer told CNN he believes his tenure was a success.  Both former press secretary Sean Spicer and chief of staff Reince Priebus resigned during his time on staff.

After Friday’s event, “the Mooch” expects to step back from the public spotlight until after Labor Day, as he evaluates his next venture.

Scaramucci Removed as White House Communications Director

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SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci speaks at the 2016 SkyBridge Alternatives “SALT” Conference at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

President Donald Trump has removed Anthony Scaramucci from his role as White House communications director, as reported by The New York Times.

The Wall Street financier was brought to Washington just 10 days prior, which resulted in several staff members to leave, including Sean Spicer as press secretary and Reince Priebus as chief of staff.

The decision came as former Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly began his tenure as new chief of staff.  Several people with knowledge about the decision said the president removed Scaramucci at Kelly’s request.  Scaramucci had said he was to report directly to the president, instead of the traditional role answering to the chief of staff.

“Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director,” said press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a release. “Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best.”

There was no clarification as to whether Scaramucci will remain a White House employee in a different position or out of the administration altogether.

White House Communications Director Scaramucci Begins Purge of West Wing Staff

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

On Tuesday, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci publicly threatened to fire his entire team in attempts to stop anonymous leaking coming from the West Wing.

“If they don’t stop leaking, I’m going to put them out on Pennsylvania Avenue – it’s a very clear thing,” Scaramucci said. “I’m going to fire everybody, that’s how I’m going to do it. You’re either going to stop leaking or you’re going to get fired.”

Asked about recent press reports suggesting he had already started purging staff members, Scarmucci singled out articles saying the communications director was on the verge of firing senior assistant press secretary Michael Short specifically. An article was posted on Politico hours earlier naming Short as the first on the list for upcoming staff purges.

“The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic, you got that? So I should have the opportunity, if I have to let someone go, to let the person go in a very humane, dignified way,” Scaramucci stated.

Short resigned shortly after publication of the Politico article saying he was to be terminated, before being fired by Scaramucci.