February 9, 2017

I promise you it's worth the time to watch this entire video and watch Sean Spicer write the script for Melissa McCarthy's next SNL appearance.

There are several moments that are just golden. First, watch reporters challenge Spicer on the president's tweets and public statements about Gorsuch. When Spicer cuts one off, another one picks up the thread, which is exactly what should happen.

Finally, you can hear a woman telling them to "let it go." (Wrong answer, whoever you are) And so they pivot.

One reporter asks him why the president tweets about Nordstrom but not about Quebec, which finally sends Spicer into apoplexy.

The unidentified reporter began, "I want to contrast the president's repeated statements about Nordstrom with a lack of comments about some other things, including for example, the attack on the Quebec mosque and other similar environments. Why is the president, when he chooses to --"

"Hold on, hold on!," Spicer interrupted. "I literally stand at this podium and opened up a briefing a couple of days ago about the president expressing his condolences. I literally opened the briefing about it."

Ramping up his tone, he continued, "So why are you asking why he didn't do it? When I literally stood here and did it."

The reporter shot back with Kellyanne ConJob's comments that Trump doesn't have time to comment on everything. "He's tweeting about this! He's not tweeting about something else."

Another challenge, to get Spicer focused on what the president might have done with his time finally exhausted his patience.

Incredulously, he answered, "You're equating ME addressing the nation here and a tweet? That's the silliest thing I've ever heard!"

And with that, he was done.

If we go back to Melissa McCarthy's brilliant satire, specifically the part where she nailed him for gaslighting -- You said that, not me! -- imagine what she could do with this.

This five-minute exchange is really a study in dodging, deflecting, projecting, and gaslighting. Still, here's a word of advice for reporters. Stop focusing on tweets and distractions. Pay attention to what they do. Spicer announced new executive orders and plans in the pipeline for mass deportations and "law and order" coordination with police officers, which certainly suggests crackdowns are on the way.

Please ask him about these things. Challenge him with the same force as you do about tweets and Gorsuch comments. It's far more important that we know about that.

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