Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson didn’t have it. Neither did former national security advisor H.R. McMaster. Or ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.
In a word, it’s chemistry with the boss.
Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who did have chemistry and who left on his own, cited the importance of bonding between Trump and his top emissaries in an interview with National UAE while he was on a speaking engagement in the country.
With @seanspicer in the UAE to speak at the #IGCF2018 in Sharjah, he sat down with @TheNationalUAE for an interview.
“Somebody posts something, everyone goes with it like it’s factual, and it’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle.”https://t.co/C3kfx4LmX6
— Robin Gordon-Farleigh (@RobinG_F) March 28, 2018
He was asked about the firing of Tillerson and said, “Rex is a brilliant man but it was clear he and the president weren’t seeing eye to eye.”
Then he added, “If you’re going to be the administration’s representative you need chemistry.”
In the stories about the recent flurry of firings, the lack of “gelling” with the president has often been cited.
“Trump is now comfortable with ousting McMaster, with whom he never personally gelled,” said the Washington Post before his firing.
“Tillerson often found himself on the outer ring of President Trump’s inner circle,” said USA Today after Tillerson’s firing.
Ths government communications forum in sharjah kicks off today on the theme of the digital millenium with Sean Spicer, former White House spokesperson, Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder, and Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the internet among others #IGCF2018 @gulf_intel pic.twitter.com/2numLbBcJw
— Annette Bontke (@AnnetteBontke) March 28, 2018
In the interview, Spicer also addressed the “fake news” phenomenon and said that the media and White House sometimes fall victim. But, he added, only the White House gets criticized.
“I think it’s a two-way street,” said Spicer, who’s new book, The Briefing, is out in July. “There are stories we may have jumped on but also stories the media promulgated that weren’t well sourced. The problem is only looked at in one direction. To folks in the media, I say ‘let’s look at stuff you got wrong’. There has to be honesty on both sides,” he said.
