White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said she would consider holding press briefings in the future, but that it was up to President Donald Trump to make that decision.
Grisham, who took over the role from Sarah Huckabee Sanders last month, claimed Trump is the “most accessible president in modern history” during her first TV interview Wednesday night with Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s “America This Week.”
“What about press briefings?” asked host Eric Bolling, a former Fox News host. “A lot less frequent than they had been in the past. Do you as press secretary ... look to bring those back?”
Grisham, who also serves as White House communications director, said that it’s possible but not necessary for the media sessions to return.
“So we’re going to talk about it. That will be ultimately up to the president,” she said, claiming that the press was “really happy” with two recent press briefings from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli.
“But we want to hear from you,” Bolling interrupted.
“You’re hearing from me right now,” Grisham fired back. “But the president also ― he’s so accessible. Right now, I think that that’s good enough.”
She falsely stated that “no question goes unanswered” when Trump addresses a White House press gaggle. Earlier during her interview with Bolling, Grisham said she’s seen Trump gaggle with reporters for long periods of time during her first few weeks on the job.
“I’m getting up to speed on policy,” she said. “There’s a lot of work being done behind the scenes. It’s not all about a press briefing. And honestly, the president is his best spokesperson.”
Bolling balked at the statement. “He could use a little help,” he said of Trump. “I’d love to see you at the press briefing.”
Grisham also hit back at former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci over his recent comments bashing Trump.
“His feelings just seem to be hurt,” Grisham said, adding that Scarmucci’s claims that Trump is mentally declining are “ridiculous.”
She suggested he was fired from the White House less than two weeks after he started for more reasons than his infamous profanity-laden interview with Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker.
“Anthony says he was ejected from the White House after 11 days,” Grisham said. “That’s because he did an interview that was profanity-laced with a reporter that now he’s suddenly a media darling. But there was some other things happening at the White House that we won’t talk about that he had to be removed and the president removed him quickly.”
Grisham did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment about Scaramucci’s firing.