Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer blasted the media on Monday over its handling of the Army’s 250th anniversary parade. The event, held Saturday, was overshadowed by headlines calling it “Trump’s Military Parade.” Spicer called the label “disgusting” and accused major outlets of disrespecting the U.S. Army.
On “The Morning Meeting,” Spicer said the coverage ignored the significance of the event. “The Army and the Navy were founded before the country, right?” he pointed out. “So, my point is that this year we will careen into the 250th anniversary of the country. How do they handle that?”
He was stunned the media didn’t treat it with reverence. “The idea that most of these people called it Trump’s parade is disgusting,” Spicer said. “CNN didn’t bother to air the end of that beautiful celebration the other night … It was moving and patriotic.”
Instead, coverage centered on “No Kings” protests. “They chose to cover rallies called ‘No Kings,’” Spicer said. “It was embarrassing for the media how this was covered.”
He noted the Army’s sacrifices were ignored. “The United States Army alone has lost over a million Americans in the service of this country to give people the freedom to go do stupid crap like they did this weekend,” Spicer said.
“For one day — which also happened to be Flag Day — you can’t just stop and recognize that service?” he continued. “It’s pathetic.” He added, “If you don’t want to be in this country, then leave. Get out.”
Spicer clarified he wasn’t defending Trump from jokes. “If you want to go around and make fun of the president of the United States on a day — any day — go … You can do anything you want,” he said. “Just pay a little respect to the people who actually serve this country. And I found it pathetic.”
He also responded to a Saturday post from NewsNation’s Chris Cillizza. The post noted that Trump’s speech at the parade was only eight minutes long. “95% celebrating the Army, 5% celebrating Trump,” Cillizza wrote.
Spicer wasn’t buying it. “They’re acting like somehow they weren’t complicit in this,” he said. “The media’s coverage of this was disgusting.” He concluded, “As we head into the 250th anniversary to celebrate this country, I hope that they learn a lesson from this.”