Sean Spicer says Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks are a sign of his ambitious plans for his second term and believes he knows the real reason they have sparked concern in the federal government.
The former White House Press Secretary said the president-elect’s nominations – specifically Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth – have caused such a stir because they will shake up their departments.
Spicer was the face of Trump’s administration for the first six months in 2017 and his a Commander in the Navy Reserves.
Now he keeps his finger on the pulse of U.S. politics with The Sean Spicer Show and his Substack, after a cameo on Dancing With The Stars in 2019.
He spoke to DailyMail.com about Trump’s appointments, why he thinks Hegseth has created a stir and what he has in store for the future.
When it comes to Hegseth, Spicer believes he has the experience to fix the recruitment crisis that has persisted in the military for years.
Many of the president-elect’s nominations for top roles in his second administration turned heads as soon as they were announced.
Sean Spicer says Donald Trump ’s Cabinet picks are a sign of his ambitious plans for his second term and believes he knows the real reason they have sparked concern in the federal government
He chose loyal allies who have stood by him since his first stint in the White House and through his victorious general election campaign.
There were also a string of Fox News hosts and guests including Hegseth, Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy and incoming US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Spicer, who has spent as much time as any by Trump’s side, says every pick shows he wants to revamp as much as possible in his second four years as commander-in-chief.
‘He recognizes that he’s got four years to get his agenda through, and based on the experience of his first term, he knows that he needs to take advantage of the precious time that there is.’
The selection of now-former Fox News host Hegseth to run the Pentagon stunned many and led to questions about whether he had the experience to be the head of a government department which last year had a $783billion budget.
Old allegations against him have also been dredged up – including an investigation into a woman’s allegations of sexual assault in California where charges were ultimately never filed.
It could lead to dramatic confirmation hearings, but Spicer has brushed aside any suggestions he doesn’t have the experience.
He says he has the perfect background to refocus the Pentagon to confront the multiple challenges it faces during one of the most volatile periods in diplomatic relations in recent history.
‘This guy ran an organization for veterans. He was an Army officer that deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan, and earned two Bronze Stars.
‘I think the idea of discussing his qualifications is a red herring. It’s a dog whistle.
Hegseth, Spicer says, ‘knows more about combat experience and boots on the ground and understanding the challenges we face.’
To rule him out because he ‘hasn’t run a multi-million dollar defense company’ is ‘ridiculous’ he adds.
He also said that any concerns from within the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill stem from the fact that Hegseth could completely overhaul the military and its priorities.
‘What it really comes down to is that people are concerned that he is going to shake things up,’ Spicer said.
‘That’s what this (the response to Hegseth) is really about. We do need something different these days.’
Spicer was the face of Trump’s administration for the first six months in 2017. He is also a Commander in the Navy Reserves
He said there is a government-wide issue of priorities being wrong.
One recent example he pointed to was to the Department of Agriculture, which had racial justice and climate change at the top of their website during an E.Coli outbreak.
An issue that has plagued the Pentagon for years has been enticing Americans to sign-up to serve.
The military has tried a swath of new programs and incentives to try and meet recruiting goals and reverse the dismal trend.
At the end of September, the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force met lower targets while the Navy came close.
But the future still looks bleak and senior military staff are still and worried about tough challenges that lie ahead.
Spicer believes that the lack of respect shown to veterans and the families of those who have served is at the foundation of why sign-ups are so drastically slow.
‘There’s also a massive recruitment problem and a morale issue.
‘A good deal of the recruitment in the military comes from people, from families that have a history of service.
‘They’re saying we don’t value the people whose families have served for generations.
Spicer, who has spent as much time as any by Trump’s side, says every pick shows he wants to revamp as much as possible in his second four years as commander-in-chief
Spicer says the president-elect’s nominations – specifically Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth – have caused such a stir because they will shake up their departments
‘So you need someone in there who says the opposite, which is: “We value you and we want you to continue that service.”
‘When you’re dismissing that, you wonder why you’re having a recruitment problem.
‘Instead of honoring that, we dismiss it.’
Trump has picked his spokesman Karoline Leavitt to be the White House press secretary, a role Spicer knows all too well.
He was at the briefing room podium in 2017 for seven months during Trump’s first administration at a time when the media was fascinated with every move in the West Wing.
At 27-year-olds, Leavitt will be the youngest in the job in history, but has been at Trump’s side since he first resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Spicer says his successor has ‘walked into the job with real, solid, first hand experience.’
Spicer keeps his finger on the pulse of U.S. politics with The Sean Spicer Show, after a cameo on Dancing With The Stars in 2019
He has every confidence she will be able to ‘take down’ the reporters, who Trump is seemingly threatening to replace with podcast stars such as Joe Rogan and Megyn Kelly.
If he has any advice for her coming into the role, it would be to constantly check-in with the president to make sure she has all the up-to-date information at her disposal.
‘Things move quickly in a Trump White House, and there’s a lot of people trying to influence his decision making.
‘And before you make public what you think, double check with him. In many cases triple check.’
DailyMail.com reported earlier this month that Spicer was under consideration for Navy Secretary.
But he confirmed he is focused on The Sean Spicer Show and client work.
