NEWS

Sarah Huckabee Sanders replaces Spicer as WH press secy

By Lalit K Jha
July 22, 2017 08:51 IST

IMAGE: Outgoing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer waves as he walks into the White House in Washington, on Friday. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

The White House on Friday announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders would replace Sean Spicer as White House press secretary, though the latter will continue to be in his position through August.

Spicer on Friday resigned from his post, apparently to protest against United States President Donald Trump's decision to appoint New York financier Anthony Scaramucci as the new communications director.

Spicer, at a White House meeting on Friday morning, told the president that he vehemently disagreed with his choice for a new White House Communication Director.

Later in a tweet, Spicer said he would continue to be in his position through August.

‘It's been an honour and a privilege to serve @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & this amazing country. I will continue my service through August,’ Spicer tweeted.

Sanders and Scaramucci appreciated Spicer’s role and said that he left the position to give the new team a clean slate.

IMAGE: Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during a daily briefing at the White House. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

"I wanted to say is I want to thank personally Sean Spicer not only on behalf of myself, the President, the administration, but Sean is a true American patriot, he's a military serviceman, he's got a great family, and he's done an amazing job," Scaramucci said.

"This is obviously a difficult situation to be in, and I applaud his efforts here. And I love the guy. And I wish him well. And I hope he goes on to make a tremendous amount of money," he told reporters at the daily White House news conference, during which he also denied rift between him and the White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus.

The White House had been without a communications director since May, when Mike Dubke resigned from the role in the first personnel shakeup of the Trump administration.

Spicer had taken on the responsibilities associated with the job in the interim and strongly opposed Trump’s decision to hire Scaramucci.

Ever since being appointed as the White House Press Secretary, Spicer had emerged as the household name in the US and globally, often facing tough questions from the media.

Lalit K Jha
Source: PTI
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