Carolyn Kaster / AP
Sean Spicer talked about the Trump administration's relationship with the press at the Newseum's "The President and the Press" event this morning. These are the highlights:
- On Trump's tweets: "I think some of the media's frustration is that he has this direct line to the American people…it frustrates people who want to control that narrative."
- On the White House Correspondents' Dinner: "This is just not the appropriate year to go. I think with the relationship and the coverage that we've gotten — I don't think that we should fake it."
- On anonymous sources: Comparing the practice to the kindergarten game of telephone — "That is very difficult to respond to, you're shooting at a ghost…how reliable is that source when it gets 3 or 4 people deep?"
- On media complaints: "I think it's naturally combative because no matter what the administration is or what the party is, the press is always going to want more. That's the nature of the relationship."
- On the press corps gunning for him: "I don't think it's monolithic…there's sort of a spectrum."