There have been rumors floating around over the past few weeks that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is on the chopping block, as Donald Trump was becoming increasingly unhappy with Spicer’s performance. Trump may still be considering letting Spicer go, as it’s just been discovered that Spicer was not asked to go to Wednesday’s meeting with Pope Francis.
As Trump is currently on his international diplomacy tour, Trump stopped in Rome to meet the Pope, and brought his family along for the honor. But along with his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, Trump also invited a few staff members – former campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, White House social media coordinator Dan Scavino and several others. Politico reported:
Also in attendance were State Department aide Brian Hook, security head Keith Schiller, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.”
It seems highly suspicious that Spicer, who is a devout Catholic and a critical member of Trump’s administration, was left out of this meeting. Although Trump was asked to limit how many people would be in the meeting, non-Catholic administration members allowed Catholic staffers to take their place so they could meet Pope Francis. This is raising eyebrows, as Spicer has been very vocal about his religious beliefs in the past. During Trump’s presidential transition, Spicer said in an interview:
I’m going to look to God every day to give me the strength to do what’s right. That’s all you can ask for is to get up and say, ‘Can I do this thing?’ Help guide me and ask Him for strength.”
Spicer has also previously stated that he was giving up alcohol for Lent, and even attended a press briefing with the ashy cross on his forehead for Ash Wednesday. If any staffer should have been invited to the meeting with Pope Francis, it was Spicer. And apparently, Spicer wanted to meet the Pope more than anything in the world – which makes Trump seem even more like a cold-hearted bully.
According to a report by CNN, Spicer had gushed about how excited he was to meet the Pope before Trump’s overseas trip. When reporters asked an administration source about why Spicer hadn’t been at the meeting, this source was shocked. They said:
Wow. That’s all he wanted.”
Trump’s trip overseas has been relatively free of Trump’s erratic behavior and tendency to create controversy. With this major slight to Spencer, that short period of calm may be coming to an end.
Featured image via Win McNamee and Alex Wong / Getty Images
