Sean Spicer’s era of presiding over the White House briefing room begins Monday as he faces questions from reporters for the first time as President Donald Trump’s press secretary.
His informal debut behind the lectern actually came Saturday, when he delivered a furious tirade against the press for their accurate coverage of crowds at Trump’s inauguration. The session, which misstated several facts, ended with Spicer walking away as reporters shouted their queries.
He didn’t stop to explain the finer details of an executive action Trump issued on Friday on Obamacare, or to preview the busy week ahead as Trump launches his administration.
Trump is keeping a packed schedule at the White House Monday. He’s met with leaders in the stately Roosevelt Room and signed executive actions in the Oval Office. Later in the day, he’s expected to meet a bipartisan group of congressional leaders.
Exact details on the executive actions aren’t known, however, and Spicer will likely face questions about Trump’s initial governing priorities during his question-and-answer session on Monday.
Spicer has prepared heavily for his premiere press briefing. He’s undergone mock briefings, extensive research, and long hours watching his predecessor holding the near-daily ritual. Much of his press office staff is in place.
Under Obama, daily press briefings were largely cordial, though sometimes featured testy exchanges about issues of transparency and administration policy. As Obama’s administration progressed, the briefings grew in length, often running past 90 minutes as Obama’s spokespeople delved into long explanations of administration policy.