Trump Approves of Sean Spicer Joining DWTS — Unlike a Lot of Other People (Including Tom Bergeron)
Donald Trump has weighed in on the casting of Sean Spicer on this season of Dancing with the Stars, voicing support for his former press secretary despite previously butting heads over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci leading up to Spicer’s resignation.
“Just heard that Sean Spicer will be on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ He will do great. A terrific person who loves our Country dearly!” Trump wrote in a tweet on Thursday, one day after the season 28 cast of the dancing competition series was announced.
Trump’s vote of confidence in his former staffer may come as a surprise to those who remember that Spicer, who was widely disparaged after he used the White House press podium to lie to and attack journalists during his tenure as press secretary, left his post in 2017.
Though there are several other interesting picks, like Bachelorette Hannah Brown, Lamar Odom and Karamo Brown, none have gotten as much attention as Spicer, whose inclusion in the cast has garnered widespread backlash.
Tom Bergeron, who hosts the show with Erin Andrews, didn’t shy away from voicing his extreme disappointment with Spicer’s casting, writing on Twitter that he had hoped this season “would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably decisive booking from ANY political affiliations.”
“Subsequently (and rather obviously), a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, ‘go in a different direction,'” Bergeron added in his tweet. He also said that he and the producers “agree to disagree” over the decision.
Just heard that Sean Spicer will be on “Dancing with the Stars.” He will do great. A terrific person who loves our Country dearly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2019
Speaking on Sirius XM’s Entertainment Weekly Live on Wednesday, Bergeron said that for the two hours per week he is hosting the show, it’s his job “to be Switzerland” — but also added that “for the other 166 hours a week, I am pretty clear where I stand politically.”
Bergeron called Spicer a “political lightning rod” — and his resurgence into the national conversation certainly has many people buzzing and prompted multiple articles about the questionable pick.
Yet, this isn’t the first time that Spicer has participated in a pop culture moment to spark backlash.
At the 2017 Emmy Awards, Spicer appeared as part of a bit, and even made fun of his own stretching of the truth about the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration.
RELATED: Dancing with the Stars‘ Karamo Brown Reacts to Fan Fury Over Show Casting Sean Spicer
“This will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period — both in person and around the world,” Spicer said at the Hollywood award show.
And even though photos proved otherwise, at Trump’s inauguration, he had said, “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.”
His surprise emergence at the Emmys drew mixed reactions, with several of the celebrities in attendance looking shocked when he came out on stage.
RELATED: Sean Spicer Reacts to Criticism of DWTS Casting: I’m ‘Very Comfortable with Who I Am’
In response to the criticism surrounding his upcoming DWTS appearance, Spicer said he’s “going out and having some fun.”
“I’m going to enjoy myself, and if more people like me, then that’s great,” he added, speaking to Mediaite on Wednesday.
“I’m very happy with who I am,” he said. “I’m very happy with the friends that I have.”
“The idea that I need this to make myself feel better is preposterous,” he said. “I’m in this because I enjoy it. I’m very comfortable with who I am, what I believe and who I support, and that’s it.”
