Spicer had endured a tumultuous six months in the administration, being brutally parodied on “Saturday Night Live”and ultimately downgraded in status.
The White House source says that while Spicer had earned considerable good will with his communication staff, it became apparent that he was impacted by his lowered standing within the administration in recent months.
Trump, a voracious consumer of cable news, was dissatisfied with Spicer’s on-camera performances and largely sidelined him in favor of his deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
In recent weeks, White House press briefings have been held entirely off-camera.
“Sean was good to me,” the source says. “But it was just time. If he wasn’t comfortable with the way things were turning out, he didn’t have any choice but to leave.”
Administration officials told The New York Times that Trump offered Spicer a position underneath Scaramucci, which Spicer declined.
White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon also reportedly opposed hiring Scaramucci.
Notably, two of the White House aides who endured the shortest tenures were Priebus loyalists: Katie Walsh – Priebus’ deputy – and now Spicer.
“That doesn’t bode well for [Reince’s] longevity,” the source in touch with the White House says.
Updated on July 21, 2017: This article has been updated with additional information.
Article Appeared @https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-07-21/sean-spicer-resigns-as-press-secretary-reports