President Donald Trump is reportedly reevaluating White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's role in his administration, with the spokesman no longer expected to do daily press briefings after Trump's upcoming foreign trip.
White House sources told Politico on Thursday that Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will conduct more of the press briefings going forward, while Spicer will retain a senior role in the administration:
The press secretary, who has turned into a household name over the past five months and garnered sky-high television ratings for his daily press briefings, has also drawn the ire of the president. He is no longer expected to do a daily, on-camera briefing after Trump’s foreign trip, the officials said.
The briefings have become one of the most dreaded parts of the president’s day, and Trump has told allies and aides he doesn't want Spicer, who has developed a belligerent persona from behind the podium, publicly defending and explaining the message anymore, officials added.
Politico's report cautioned that "Trump has not yet made up his mind entirely about Spicer and other changes to the press operation. Since taking office, the president has considered multiple staff changes that have yet to materialize."
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with his communications officials over the past month, as mixed messaging and explanations have come out regarding a series of events like the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
During the Trump administration, the daily press briefings have become a fixture for the media. The top cable news channels show the briefings in their entirety, almost without exception, every day. He has been lampooned by Melissa McCarthy on the NBC show Saturday Night Live.