Reporters on Twitter mocked former White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday, falsely claiming his PR agency scrubbed his website bio to avoid calling him truthful.
Worldwide Speakers Group announced in an emailed press release Tuesday that the organization had signed Spicer as a paid speaker.
"With the same wit and candor that made him one of the most recognizable White House Press Secretary’s in recent memory, Spicer offers audiences objective analysis on the strategies of both parties, the major trends and decisions making news, and specifically the impact this will have on the industries and citizens of the United States," the group wrote.
The reference to Spicer's "candor" riled reporters, who have long complained Spicer had a history of making spurious claims from the podium.
NOT @THEONION: Speakers bureau boasts @SeanSpicer will bring "the same candor, wit & insight" he showed at WH podium https://t.co/rPDndceKqy
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) September 5, 2017
Spicer lands post-White House gig, hitting speaking circuit with "candor" and "wit." And he is thinking of a book. https://t.co/IHOomU85M1
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) September 5, 2017
When I hear the words "candor, wit, and insight," I'd think of just about anybody else before Sean Spicer. https://t.co/U7axynGqF9
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) September 5, 2017
In the midst of this backlash, Politico White House reporter Annie Karni claimed the WSG website had been "scrubbed" of the language about Spicer's candor.
New York Times reporter Kenneth Vogel repeated her claim.
UPDATE: @SeanSpicer's speakers bureau no longer advertising his "candor." Instead, it refers to his "trademark style behind the WH podium." https://t.co/8hVgzImZVR
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) September 5, 2017
Spicer soon called out both reporters on Twitter, saying it was completely untrue that the website bio had been changed. He said there were actually two versions of the bio, one that went out in the email and the other on the website.
Par for the course - not accurate. The page has not changed. https://t.co/REkBPk7aVJ
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 5, 2017
Nope. One was an email one was a bio page. That page remains the same https://t.co/hVeNl3SsaB
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 5, 2017
Karni, in light of Spicer's information, deleted her tweet and admitted Spicer was right.
He's right. Deleting tweet and clarifying the story. https://t.co/qWREUnDAkx
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) September 5, 2017
Vogel, however, doubled down. He continued to mock Spicer and insist he was wrong.
You are certainly the best troll out there but the bio website is the same. The email was a separate press release https://t.co/LpXerBwLAs
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 5, 2017
Thank you. CC'ing chief troll @kenvogel https://t.co/sGfMVX1HXn
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 5, 2017
Eventually, Vogel too tweeted out a correction and deleted his tweet mocking Spicer, but left up the original, inaccurate tweet.
UPDATE: @seanspicer's speakers bureau only advertised his "candor" in an email soliciting customers; not on their bio page for him. #candor https://t.co/hJoqRz80bE
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) September 5, 2017
Funnily enough, the language about Spicer's "wit and candor" was in fact on his WSG page the entire time. You need only to click on the "Speech Topics" tab to read it.
