Ex-press secretary Spicer says Trump supports his book

It’s been a year since ex-White House press secretary Sean Spicer addressed the nation as the president’s official mouthpiece, but bring up his old boss and he slides easily back into that role.

While on tour to promote his new book “The Briefing: Politics, the Press, and the President,” Spicer has been given every opportunity to take digs at the president. He won’t take the bait.

“I’ve stayed in touch with him for the last 12 months now, and he’s been very supportive of the book,” Spicer told the 150 people who paid to see him at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library on Sunday.

When asked how the president would describe him, Spicer, 46, deadpanned as the commander-in-chief: “Fantastic guy.”

“Look at what he said about Troy Balderson last night — ‘great guy.’ That’s how he speaks,” Spicer said, referring to Saturday’s rally in Lewis Center, Ohio, to support the Republican candidate running in a special election today. “If I wrote a book that said he’s the most horrible person in the world he’d say, ‘Look at that loser.’”

That’s as far as Spicer went in jeering President Trump during an interview that centered on Spicer’s role in the president’s administration, which he stepped down from after six months.

“Did he ever ask you to stretch the truth, make some comments that weren’t factual?” asked Kurt Franck, The Blade’s president, general manager, and executive editor, who interviewed Spicer for an hour at the Main Library.

“No,” Spicer said, adding, “but part of my job and my career is spin.”

Spicer cites as accomplishments economic growth under the president and his federal court appointees.

He said he didn’t agree with certain policies and rollouts, “but again, my entire career I’ve never met a person or an institution I’ve been 100 percent on board with.”

Spicer had one minor piece of advice for the president on his Twitter tirades. “I would like to see him let these things slide off a little bit more,” he said.

As his book’s title suggests, Spicer also devotes a portion to his relationship with the press. He told the audience he does not believe, as the president has said, that the press is the enemy of the people.

“I think that any democracy — particularly ours as the beacon around the world for what democracy stands for — we should have a fair and free and robust press corps. I write that in the book, and I praise a bunch of reporters,” he said.

Since his departure from the White House, Spicer runs a small consulting firm and hosts a podcast.

His event drew a diversity of guests — supporters of President Trump and his detractors, and some people who just wanted to see Spicer in the flesh.

“I have formed a totally different opinion about him seeing in person,” said Patti Henry, 59. “I thought it was good.”