Contentious Exchange During White House Press Briefing

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At Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer made it abundantly clear he was less than thrilled with one reporter’s reaction to his responses. In the midst of answering a question, he told the journalist, “Please stop shaking your head.” The exchange got heated when our own April Ryan asked, “How does this administration try to revamp its image?” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer snapped at April telling the veteran White House correspondent to “stop shaking your head” — a snide comment that drew rebuke from Hillary Clinton and several prominent women journalists.

Ryan followed up with a question about Trump’s meeting with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whom Trump made a vulgar comment about in 2006. Spicer then accused Ryan of wanting to push an agenda, telling her from the podium to “stop shaking your head.” “April, hold on, it seems like you’re hell-bent on trying to make sure that whatever image you want to tell about this White House stays,” he said. “I’m sorry, please stop shaking your head again,” he added.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and several well-known female reporters rushed to defend Ryan over what they said was unfair belittling of a journalist and a “grown woman.” “April Ryan, a respected journalist with unrivaled integrity, was doing her job just this afternoon in the White House press room, and she was patronized and cut off trying to ask a question,” Hillary Clinton said during a speech at a conference for the Professional Business Women of California (PBWC) on Tuesday night.

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