Sean Spicer has had a rocky start to his run as the new administration’s press secretary and a new report suggests that the president regrets choosing him for the position.
President Trump is disappointed with Mr Spicer’s performance and blames his chief of staff, Reince Priebus, for pushing for Mr Spicer for the job, CNN reports. "Priebus vouched for Spicer and against Trump's instincts," one source told the network, adding that the president "regrets it every day and blames Priebus.”
Mr Spicer is a longtime Republican party operative and has a close relationship with Mr Priebus. However, in his first two weeks, he’s berated reporters and has been tasked with defending numerous falsehoods pushed forth by the Trump administration.
CNN reports that Mr Spicer was not the president’s first choice for press secretary and he wanted White House counselor Kellyanne Conway to assume the role, but she eventually turned it down. Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle was another top candidate interviewed for the position.
In response to the report, one senior official told the network that the president is behind Mr Spicer "100 percent."
Mr Spicer is currently assuming the role of press secretary and communications director, a separate role that the White House is urgently seeking to fill. The source told the network that the position needs to be filled “more than ever.”
