White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defends Trump using letter from nine-year-old boy
Donald Trump may have some of the lowest approval ratings in political history. He may be causing outcry on a daily basis as he mocks his Attorney General and floats the idea of firing the special prosecutor.
Yet as the White House was trying to defend Mr Trump’s latest controversy - a stunning tweet that announced transgender people could not serve in the military - it brought to the battle, a nine-year-old boy who had apparently written a glowing piece of fan mail to the President.
Dylan Harbin has the nickname “Pickle” and he thinks the President simply rocks. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sander told the press corps she as going to share a letter he had written to the President, just one of the many letters, she said, from the “forgotten men, women, and children”, Mr Trump is fighting for.
“My name is Dylan … but everybody calls me Pickle,” began the letter, dated 1 June. “I’m nine years old and you are my favourite president. I like you so much I had a birthday about you. My cake was the shape of your hat.”
The reading out of the youngster’s letter may have been part of an attempt to present a friendlier, softer tone in the briefing room, after the departure of Sean Spicer and the appointment of the slick, TV-friendly Anthony Scaramucci as communications director.
Ms Huckabee Sanders said she was going to read out some questions from the young correspondent. How big is the White House, how much money does the president have, and why don’t people don’t like you.
The spokeswoman was able to handle some of them more easily than others. The White House was 168ft long, 70ft tall on the south side and 60ft 4in tall on the north. She said it took 300 gallons of white paint to cover the exterior of the residence and that it had 132 rooms.
As to Mr Trump’s wealth, she said she knew it was a lot but she was not certain of the total. As to why some people did not like Mr Trump, she said: “Me neither, Dylan.”
She then said that the youngster had asked to be Mr Trump’s friend. “I’m happy to say I directly spoke to the President, Dylan, he would be more than happy to be your friend.”
She added: “Dylan, I hope you’re watching because the President wanted me to personally tell you hello.”
“Dylan, thanks for writing to the president and if you’re ever in Washington DC I hope you’ll stop by and let us show you around the White House.”
