On Saturday, Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan penned a scathing op-ed suggesting that Stephanie Grisham isn't actually the worst White House press secretary in history — because she really can't be considered a "press secretary" in any meaningful way at all.
"Hearing Joe Lockhart talk about his old job as [Clinton] White House press secretary almost seems quaint," wrote Sullivan. "Given that the 30th person to hold the job, Stephanie Grisham, has never held a briefing since she got the title in July, is she really a press secretary? 'That's an easy one,' Lockhart told me. 'She doesn't do any of the important parts of the job, so no.'"
"She aggressively tweets, of course — often disparaging journalists — and frequently makes appearances on the Trump propaganda network, Fox News, or the even more right wing and equally friendly OANN. (She's made only a few more mainstream appearances.) She even co-wrote an offensive op-ed piece harshly criticizing two Washington Post reporters for an accurate story that Trump didn’t like," continued Sullivan. However, even in the midst of impeachment and the military standoff with Iran, " when it comes to publicly answering questions on behalf of the White House, from the official podium and with the world watching, Grisham remains silent. Cowardly."
"Grisham, of course, took her place in a less-than-distinguished line of Trump-era press secretaries or communications directors. Sean Spicer peddled lies about the inauguration crowd on his first day. Sarah Sanders exuded contempt. And Anthony Scaramucci flamed out in days," wrote Sullivan. "But they did hold briefings, though an ever-dwindling number of them."
"There’s little in Grisham’s background to suggest she would perform well on the podium under assertive questioning seeking detailed, credible information," added Sullivan. "She is, however, a terrific sycophant, quick to say about former White House chief of staff John F. Kelly: 'He was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great President.' Or to eagerly agree with Trump that his critics are 'human scum.'"
"Pure fealty is not anything close to an adequate job description for the White House press secretary," concluded Sullivan. "Which, along with Grisham's performance to date, is why [she] can't be described as the worst ever. She may hold the title but she’s not doing the job."
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