Stephanie Grisham became President Trump’s third press secretary during the first week of summer. But Labor Day passed without Grisham giving her debut White House briefing or hosting the regular driveway gaggles that emerged as a substitute.
“I haven’t seen a need yet,” she told the Washington Examiner in a broad exchange reflecting on her first months on the job.
But Grisham, 42, has been busy behind the scenes as Trump’s top press surrogate. The mother of two and veteran of Arizona GOP politics has generated goodwill among many reporters while issuing biting rebukes of commentators hostile to Trump.
During her first days on the job, Grisham physically confronted North Korean guards who sought to block reporters from covering a Trump meeting with Kim Jong Un inside the Demilitarized Zone. “Go! Go!” she shouted, leaning her body into a guard.
She downplayed reported bruises, but the heroics were the talk of journalists’ West Wing workspaces. Grisham “[made] her first mark in the job by fighting, literally and physically, for press access,” wrote New York Times White House reporter Peter Baker.
Grisham, who also serves as White House communications director while keeping her old job as first lady Melania Trump’s communications director, is known for her understated demeanor and as a Trump loyalist since the 2016 campaign. When ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci questioned Trump’s mental fitness, she gave a scorching rebuttal of “his ravenous appetite for attention.”
Whereas her predecessors found themselves subject to Saturday Night Live impersonations and accusations of flubbing facts during tense exchanges, Grisham’s interactions with reporters generally feature collegial sit-downs in her office.
Whether she ever takes to the White House briefing room podium is ultimately “up to the president,” she said.
Trump tweeted this year that he had instructed then-press secretary Sarah Sanders to stop giving briefings because “the press covers her so rudely & inaccurately.”
Grisham’s tenure has not been entirely devoid of clashes. In one of the first major controversies involving her office, Grisham approved the suspension of a Playboy magazine reporter’s press badge over a Rose Garden shouting match with guests. The decision was reversed by a judge.
Now that you have the job, what is most surprising about the role?
There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done. Meetings, managing staff, answering emails, talking to press, travel and logistical issues, etc. I think most of the country knows this role as forward facing, but that’s actually a small part of the job.
At least for now, you redefined the job by receding from the spotlight. What’s going on behind the scenes?
I have taken the first two months to meet with my press and communications teams, West Wing staff, and members of the media. I have been working to get up to speed on policy and have also done two international trips, as well as domestic travel with the president.
Are you considering other changes to press operations?
I think we are in a very good place right now — my teams are incredible, and the White House is lucky to have them. The goal of this office is to represent the president and first lady, communicate the work of this administration to the country, and work to provide information to the press corps.
During your first weekend on the job you confronted North Korean guards to ensure press access at the DMZ. How did reporters respond?
Members of the media were grateful to our entire team on the ground. Behind the scenes, the press corps knows how hard this administration works on their behalf to get them access to events, it just never gets reported. At the G-7 two weeks ago, the American press corps had vastly more access than any other country and that was because people at every level worked on their behalf to ensure they were represented.
You haven’t given a briefing, or regular gaggles on the driveway. Are there certain events that require an in-person address from you?
There could be at some point. Ultimately, it is up to the president, and he is more accessible than any president in modern history, so I haven’t seen a need yet. I am available 24/7 and talk to reporters one-on-one every day. That seems to be working well for now.
Have you been training for briefings? Are there missteps you’d like to avoid?
I don’t want to get drawn into the theater of it all — and that is what it has become. I believe briefings and on-camera gaggles should communicate the president’s policies and messages to the country, not get ratings for networks or camera time and contributor contracts for reporters.
Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders famously clashed with reporters on TV. You haven’t. Has that helped you build relationships with reporters?
Sean and Sarah are good friends of mine, and I learned a lot from both of them. To be honest, I haven’t had time to think about our differences — I am focused on how I can best serve the president and first lady.
Do you see a point where you step away from the East Wing and focus solely on the West Wing?
I hope I never step away from the East Wing. I respect Mrs. Trump very much and still have a lot to learn from her.
How much did you cooperate for Kate Bennett’s forthcoming Free, Melania book?
I answered some questions, nothing major.
How do you balance the needs of the first lady and the president when their demands are not in sync? Have you ever felt put in the middle?
I have not. They are each independent individuals, which I celebrate. I am honored that I have a role in communicating to people how much they each love this country.
How have you balanced being a mom with essentially doing three jobs at once?
That one has been tough. Mom guilt is the worst. I am very close to both of my sons, and we make it work. They are my world, and time in the White House is temporary, and they each know that. It is my hope that by watching their mom achieve her ultimate professional goal and serve this country, they know they can do anything they put their minds to.
How have your sons responded to your recent job change?
My oldest and I are a lot alike — and he is very proud, though he’ll never admit that! My youngest has struggled with it a bit more because people at his school have been less than kind at times.
How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
It varies. I’d say between four and six hours. Having a new puppy in the house isn’t helping with my goal of a full night’s sleep.
You seem to be busier than ever. Why get a dog now?
“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” — President Harry S. Truman
What’s something you do for fun in your spare time?
As basic as it sounds, time with my friends and family is more important than ever these days. Taking time to sit and laugh means everything.
Aside from your new office, do you have a favorite place to spend time at the White House?
The Blue Room on the State Floor. If it is a challenging day, I go in there and look toward the South Lawn — you can see the fountain and Monument, and it reminds me of how grateful I am to be here.
