After Donald Trump’s nut job moment, even Sean Spicer isn’t willing to lie for him anymore
From the start, several things have been clear: Donald Trump lies constantly. Donald Trump regularly asks White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to lie on his behalf. Sean Spicer has been willing to lie regularly on Trump’s behalf. And Sean Spicer is very bad at lying, with enough tells to make him the world’s worst poker player. But something remarkable happened today, after the media got wind of one of Trump’s most embarrassing (and potentially incriminating) moments to date.
Today the New York Times (link) reported that Donald Trump had told the Russians that FBI Director James Comey was fired because he was a “nut job.” Trump also admitted to the Russians in the same exchange that he wanted Comey gone so that the Russia investigation would go away, essentially admitting to obstruction of justice. But it’s the “nut job” reference that’s gotten the most immediate attention due to its absurdity. It prompted reporters to ask Spicer about it at today’s press briefing.
Remarkably, Sean Spicer didn’t even bother to deny the story. In the past he would have automatically rejected the premise of any negative report about Donald Trump, whether he knew it to be true or false or otherwise. But this time around, it seemed Spicer was simply no longer willing to lie for his boss. The moment wasn’t lost on Congressman Ted Lieu:
Fascinating that White House doesn't dispute @nytimes story. Either @PressSec @seanspicer decided he no longer wants to lie for @POTUS 1/2
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 20, 2017
OR WH staff is now unwilling to lie because they'd be at risk of obstructing justice in what has turned into a criminal investigation. 2/2
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 20, 2017
Spicer may have decided he simply isn’t up to the task of lying to cover for his boss anymore. But it’s also possible that, with a Special Counsel now having been appointed in the Trump-Russia investigation signaling just how serious the scandal is about to become, Spicer wasn’t willing to lie about Trump committing obstruction of justice. It’s almost enough to make one wonder if Spicer has perhaps been talking to a lawyer of his own.
