It wasn’t so huge
Photo proves Don’s rep way off on crowd
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S top spokesman used his first White House press briefing to berate the media — for accurately reporting the crowd size at Friday’s inauguration.
“This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period — both in person and around the globe,” a seething Sean Spicer said in a Saturday address riddled with falsehoods.
“These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong.”
Spicer delivered much of his 51/2-minute diatribe flanked by photos he claimed showed the “enormous” crowds gathered for Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
News outlets had earlier displayed aerial photos of the scene at Trump’s inauguration (displayed again above) that showed large swaths of open space on the National Mall — drawing a stark contrast to photos of Barack Obama’s packed 2009 inaugural.
Spicer claimed that Trump’s swearing-in was the first to use floor coverings on the grass near the Capitol, making open spaces more apparent.
But photos from 2013 show that plastic sheets were also used to protect the grass during Obama’s second inauguration.
Spicer also argued that the use of magnetometers slowed Trump supporters attempting to reach the National Mall. But a Secret Service spokesperson later said that the devices weren’t used on the Mall.
Spicer went on to deliver another whopper when he claimed that more people used the city’s train system for Trump’s inaugural than Obama’s 2013 swearing-in.
Spicer said 420,000 people used the Metro on Friday compared to 317,000 for Obama’s inauguration four years ago.
The rail system in fact saw 570,000 trips Friday compared with 1.1 million at Obama’s 2009 inauguration and 782,000 at his 2013 inauguration, according to the Washington Post.
The newly-minted White House press secretary also slammed a journalist who had already apologized for incorrectly reporting that Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from his office.
“This was irresponsible and reckless,” Spicer said.
The blistering attack on the press echoed the disdain Trump regularly shows toward reporters. “There’s been a lot of talk in the media about the responsibility to hold Donald Trump accountable, and I’m here to tell you that it goes two ways,” Spicer said. “We’re going to hold the press accountable as well.”
Capping his extraordinary news conference, Spicer marched out of the briefing room without taking any questions.
The 45-year-old Spicer is a seasoned press operative. A native of Rhode Island, he worked in the George W. Bush administration before serving as communications director for the Republican National Committee.
Spicer’s angry address stunned the assembled press corps — and prompted a backlash on social media.
But former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted that Spicer was merely doing his boss’ bidding.
“This is called a statement you’re told to make by the President. And you know the President is watching,” Fleischer wrote.
“So, while press is stunned & can't believe it, Sean is getting praised by his boss & co-workers now. MSM is from Venus. WH is from Mars.”