White House press secretary Sean Spicer apparently isn’t talking to President Trump much these days, based on his answers to reporters’ questions in the last month.
The answer came up again during Tuesday’s press briefing, when Spicer was asked Trump believes the Russians interfered in the 2016 election.
“I have not sat down and talked to him about that specific thing,” Spicer said. “Obviously, we’ve been dealing with a lot of other issues today. If you want to touch base … I have not sat down and asked him about specific reaction.”
It’s not an answer unique to Spicer — White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has also told reporters multiple times that she hasn’t asked or talked to the president about certain touchy issues.
Here’s a list of all the other things Spicer hasn’t talked to Trump about recently:
- During a series of questions Tuesday regarding the upcoming Senate version of the American Health Care Act, Spicer was asked if the president had seen the legislation. Spicer responded: “I don’t know that. I know there has been some chatter today. I know the president has been on the phone with the leader and key senators, so I don’t know if he has seen the legislation or not but I know he has been working extremely hard. The president has been giving his input to them and is extremely excited where this thing is heading.”
- On June 2, when asked if Trump still believes climate change is a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese, Spicer said, “I have not had an opportunity to have that discussion.”
- Before that decision on May 30, Spicer couldn’t say what Trump’s decision would be about the Paris Agreement on climate change: “Honestly, I haven’t asked him.”
- On May 15, when asked if Trump had asked any FBI officials other than former FBI Director James Comey whether he was under investigation in connection to the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in the election, Spicer said, “I haven’t asked him about that but I’m not aware of anything.”
- On May 9, just hours before Trump fired Comey, Spicer said, “I have no reason to believe — I haven’t asked him. So I don’t — I have not asked the President since the last time we spoke about this” when asked if Trump had confidence in Comey.
Sanders has also claimed ignorance when quizzed by reporters about issues of the day.
- On June 8, she couldn’t answer if Trump stood by his tweets about Qatar and the county’s connection to financing terrorism, saying, “the President is continuing to have conversations with all of the leaders in that region. He’s going to continue doing that. He’s been meeting with his national security team this morning to discuss that. I haven’t talked to him since they’ve had those conversations, but if I can get an update following that I will.”
- That same day, Sanders said she’s not sure if Trump agrees that Russia is still coming after the United States following its interference in the 2016 election. “I’m not sure whether or not he agrees,” she said. “I haven’t had that conversation.”
- On June 15, Sanders told reporters she doesn’t know if Trump has confidence in Special Counsel Robert Mueller, appointed after Comey was fired. “I haven’t had a specific conversation about that, but I think if he didn’t he would probably have intentions to make a change and he certainly doesn’t,” she said.
- On June 7, Sanders couldn’t say if Trump had confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions because she hadn’t spoken with him about it. “I haven’t had a chance to have an extensive conversation with him today but I certainly plan to ask him that,” she told reporters.
- “Honestly, I haven’t had a conversation with him about that but I’ll ask,” she said on April 18 if Trump filed his taxes that day.
