By Kevin Ludy ’19
From lying about the size of the crowd at Donald Trump’s inauguration, to saying that Hitler never used chemical weapons, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has proven to be an embarrassing addition to Trump’s team. His bogus claims continue to give other countries an unfavorable view of America today.
Before the election, I was very curious to see who Trump was going to select to be on his presidential team. His campaign was anything but normal, so I was expecting him to choose people who had interesting views and sometimes questionable opinions; however, I would have never thought that the person he chose to represent the step between the White House and the media would outright lie and use “alternative facts.”
When Spicer tells the media false information, like the size of the inauguration, it can give a bad impression of what’s going on in Washington to the audiences around the world. Although Spicer is constantly fact checked by websites like politifact and different medias, what he says is still heard by millions who do not necessarily take the time to check whether or not what he is saying is true.
This is alarming because of the effect his words can have on how others view America. With each controversial comment, Spicer gets press which leads to other countries changing their perception of us. With Trump currently working on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which will put stress on border relations, how we are viewed is crucial.
The fact that the person who represents the White House to the press isn’t making reliable statements should be a cause for the termination of his job. Spicer has a very important role and thus far has shown his unreliability lackluster since day one.
I think that Spicer needs to be more prepared with the facts when he goes to make a press conference. At this point many people don’t take him seriously, so much so that they refuse to listen when he shows up on TV.
Trump and his members have continued to prove that they are a inadequate team for Washington. Due to this, Trump’s approval rating is the lowest of any president during their first 100 days. Spicer’s claims have been and will continue to be a reason for embarrassment for the U.S. and unless he changes how he is viewed, he will simultaneously drag down Trump’s approval rating. Sometimes letting go of someone is the best option, and I think this is one of those situations.
