‘Folks Out There Want to Know How They Can Pray for You?’Â
At 12:30 Wednesday afternoon it was 91 degrees and sunny in Washington D.C. and an understandably very sweaty Sean Spicer was standing outside the White House giving an interview, streamed on Facebook Live, to Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network. 337 people were watching. (Video embedded above.)
It was the day one launch of CBN’s “new, LIVE social media-driven political talk show,” “Faith Nation,” broadcast live from a store-front with a McDonald’s visible across the street.
After President Donald Trump gave Pat Robertson an interview last week, one day after holding a prayer meeting in the Oval Office with several dozen of America’s professional anti-gay religious right activists, it seems the White House is continuing to stoke its base: the 81 percent of conservative Christians who support this president, for better or worse.
“No cameras at the press briefing, no problem!” CBN’s Facebook page reads. “#FaithNation hosts White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Do you feel faith should play more or less of a role in politics? Have you heard about the upcoming #BloodMoon – do you think it has Biblical significance? Send us your thoughts and questions in the comments below!”
The White House has not held an on-camera daily press briefing since June 29, and no longer can be counted on to even hold off-camera briefings daily. When it does, they are almost always audio-only, and news outlets are now banned from sharing the audio live, or even delayed; they must wait until the briefing is concluded completely before airing excerpts.
At the same time Spicer was talking with CBN’s Chief Political Correspondent, David Brody, the President was on national television. Spicer was telling CBN the White House is hoping Senators will repeal ObamaCare and “give us time” to replace it later. The President was demanding (and threatening) Senators to stay in town and pass an ObamaCare repeal and replace bill.
And yes, for 30 minutes or so, Spicer was given an open platform to talk about almost anything he wanted. Tax reform, the opioid crisis, gang violence all were mentioned.Â
Among the questions for Spicer?
“Folks out there want to know how they can pray for you?”
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