Sean Spicer still claiming Trump's inauguration was biggest in history - 247 news — Transcript

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1. 0:07Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer is still maintaining President Donald Trump's inauguration audience was the biggest in history even as he says he doesn't want to work for the administration again
2. 0:16Spicer conceded his original statement should have been clearer but given all the alternative viewing platforms available his assertion stands
3. 0:28'If you look at the statement that I actually made — and I will admit that we should have made it clearer — we should have focused on total audience size and not let people believe that we were talking about the Mall itself, I will concede that,' he told The Washington Post
4. 0:47"But where has any evidence been that suggests that I'm wrong about the total population that watched it? This isn't a partisan thing
5. 0:59The bottom line is that there are platforms available today that weren't available for [President Barack] Obama
6. 1:09'Spicer is on a media blitz for his book tour 'The Briefing.' The former spokesman for the Republican National Committee served as for six months as Trump's first press secretary
7. 1:23The dispute over the size of the inauguration crowd was a result of Spicer's first interaction with the media when he officially became White House press secretary and sat off a combative tone between the news outlets and the Trump administration
8. 1:41Spicer, on Inauguration Day, came into the White House briefing room to severely chastise the media and claimed they underestimated the size of the crowds
9. 1:55Trump's ceremony had the 'largest audience to ever to witness an inauguration, period – both in person and around the globe,' he said
10. 2:07Share this article Share But his assertion became the subject of mocking with photos being presented side by side that showed larger crowds on the National Mall for Obama's inauguration compared to the day Trump was sworn into the office
11. 2:25His contentious relationship with the press became the subject of frequent sketches on 'Saturday Night Live,' where he was portrayed by actress Melissa McCarthy
12. 2:38There's been speculation that Spicer's book, which is officially out on Tuesday, is the former spokesman's way of trying to return to the White House
13. 2:51It's a charge Spicer denies.  'I would wholeheartedly disagree with that,' he told The Post
14. 3:00'I really was honored to do it, but there's a lot of things that I've had the opportunity to do and I'm glad I did them, but I've moved on, and this was only one of them
15. 3:14'As to what advice he would give the president now, Spicer suggested Trump should show his softer side
16. 3:23'I think he should share more of a personal window into his thinking. Letting his personal side [show] would be very helpful
17. 3:34And he should try to kill them with kindness more, not necessarily always harass
18. 3:43But I think I have an understanding why he reacts the way that he does: He has a street fighter, brawler mentality
19. 3:53You hit him, he's going to hit you back,' he said.He added that the president 'never felt constrained by historical norms and protocols
20. 4:06It's like his meeting with Kim [Jong Un]. He just said, 'Put me in a room with Kim
21. 4:15' Every single secretary and deputy secretary wigs out because that's not how it's supposed to work
22. 4:24And his view is, 'Great, I don't care how it's supposed to work. I'm going to do it my way,' Spicer said
23. 4:35Spicer announced his intention to resign as press secretary on July 21, 2017, after Trump appointed financier Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director
24. 4:51Scaramucci lasted in the job 10 days and left the administration before Spicer did
25. 5:00Spicer said he doesn't think 'The Mooch' as Scaramucci is known, was the right person for the communications director job
26. 5:10'I didn't really have anything against Anthony personally, and to be honest I didn't know him that well,' he said
27. 5:21'But I don't believe he was the most effective person for that job, nor did he have the skill set or qualifications to do that
28. 5:32And you're right, that came across. But my overlap with him was only 10 days, and I have not spoken to him since then
29. 5:43'