Sean Spicer was reportedly behaving so erratically in the wake of the Comey firing that he hid in the White House bushes to avoid answering media questions.
Sean Spicer Cowering in the Bushes Is the Absurdist Respite This Nation Needs https: //t.co/l2TpngyoqQ pic.twitter.com/7E4WQZUBS7
— Viral Curve (@viral_curve) May 10,2017
What’s more, various White House staffers (Sean Spicer included) appeared on cable news outlets in the wake of the Comey firing, and their overall message was considered “muddled” by many.
After remaining hidden in the bushes for at least several minutes, Sean Spicer sent executive press office assistant Janet Montesi to address the horde of reporters waiting to be told why, exactly, Trump had fired the FBI director so suddenly and seemingly without warning — in the midst of the Russia investigation.
@Kris_Sacrebleu???? wtheck #art #spicerbushes #Press pic.twitter.com/nHreGsqlKJ
— Pandora ???? (@thismamatweets) May 10,2017
Montesi then told the awaiting members of the media that Sean Spicer would be willing to answer a few of their pressing questions, provided that no cameras were rolling. Then, Spicer emerged from the bushes, asking that (in addition to no cameras) the surrounding lights be turned off, too.
“Just turn the lights off. Turn the lights off. We’ ll take care of this…. Can you just turn that light off?”
The members of the media in attendance quickly complied and an impromptu 10-minute press conference took place while the press secretary stood in the darkness, flanked by two bushes he’ d hidden behind just moments before.
I thought it was a metaphor, but it seems Sean Spicer really hid in bushes to avoid reporters following Comey firing https: //t.co/ROOVFhVFs2 pic.twitter.com/OvUdFSZJuW
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) May 10,2017
Over a dozen reporters proceeded to pepper Spicer with questions about the Comey firing, with the most frequently asked question having to do with why Trump had fired the FBI director.
During the exchange, Sean Spicer is said to have wavered between a good-natured mood and obvious frustration that the same question was being asked over and over again.
Over the course of the darkness-shrouded, 10-minute mini-interview, Sean Spicer said that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein began independently investigating James Comey almost immediately after his confirmation two weeks ago. According to Spicer, Donald Trump was unaware of the probe into the FBI director until he received a memo on Tuesday. Along with that memo, Sean Spicer claimed that Trump also received a letter from Attorney General Jeff Sessions recommending that James Comey be fired, which happened within hours.
@kylegriffin1 Why do the American people put up with these fools?
— Alper Çuğun ???????? (@alper) May 10,2017
My new experimental band, Spicer in the Bushes, just runs away from all our gigs.
— Kashana (@kashanacauley) May 10,2017
I can’t wait to see a comedic interpretation of Spicer in the bushes. We all need a laugh in these dark times.
— deray mckesson (@deray) May 10,2017
@Newsweek ???????????????????????????????????????????????? Invoking demons from the bowels of HELL requires darkness and quiet so they can hear him clearly.???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? I summon thee!
— Diamondgirl23 (@astinos2323) May 10,2017
After emerging from the bushes, Sean Spicer also confirmed reports that Comey learned about his own termination from the media.
According to Spicer, the decision to fire Comey wasn’ t handed down from the White House, but from Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, a fact the press secretary apparently wanted to make perfectly clear to those die-hard reporters who had waited him out as he unceremoniously hid in the White House bushes.
“It was all [Rosenstein] . That’s correct — I mean, I can’ t, I guess I shouldn’ t say that, thank you for the help on that one. No one from the White House. That was a DOJ decision.”
Twitter responds perfectly to sean spicer hiding in bushes https: //t.co/S7yhtTasyx pic.twitter.com/eCdJpEu3S4
— HuffPost Comedy (@HuffPostComedy) May 10,2017
Among the questions Spicer was asked, he answered many with an “I don’ t know, ” or referred the media to the Department of Justice. Included among those questions that Spicer dodged was one related to whether or not Trump had discussed Rosenstein’s findings with Rosenstein himself.
“No, I don’ t believe, I don’ t know how that sequence went — I don’ t know.”
The press secretary also addressed his beliefs that there is no need for a special prosecutor with regard to the Trump/Russia situation.
“There is clearly at this point no evidence of a reason to do that. You have a system that’s working.”
After hiding in the bushes for several minutes and answering questions for precisely 10 more, Sean Spicer abruptly ended the impromptu press conference with an “Anyway, thank you, guys, ” before abruptly walking away.
[Featured Image by Carolyn Kaster/AP Images]
