Sean Spicer has application to White House Correspondents’ Association cancelled

Newsmax said it already had enough correspondents at White House

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has had his application to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) cancelled by Newsmax.

According to the right-wing cable news channel on Tuesday, there were already two Newsmax correspondents accredited by the WHCA, and so “[we] don’t see a need for additional personnel assigned there”, a spokesperson told Politico.

Mr Spicer, who hosts Newsmax’s evening politics show, submitted an application to the association only last week, when he told Politico that he applied because “I thought, why not?”

The decision by Newsmax to rescind Mr Spicer’s application came before the WHCA was able to consider the controversial application, which was expected to take weeks.

Anyone who works as a White House correspondent can apply to the body, and they must do so annually through the media outlet they are employed by.

Mr Spicer, who resigned as White House press secretary after six months in the position, argued that Mr Trump’s inauguration crowds were the “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration – period – both in person and around the globe”.

He added to Politico last week that he already had a White House “hard pass” – which allows reporters to move around the complex as they please – as well as credentials to cover Congress.

“I cover the White House every day on the [Spicer & Co] show, and I have obviously had a lot to say about the coverage of the White House and the Correspondents’ Association over the last few years,” said Mr Spicer of the application.

A spokesperson for Newsmax said the channel was “pleased” with its current representation at the WHCA, and confirmed the cancellation of Mr Spicer’s WHCA application to Politico on Tuesday.

“Newsmax already had two correspondents that work with the White House press corps,” said the spokesperson, who went on to say that “at this time, don’t see a need for additional personnel assigned there”.

Mr Spicer, who will receive the $75 application payment back, becomes the latest former Trump aide to be snubbed, amid reports many staffers for the former president have struggled to find work in Washington DC.

Newsmax, which employed Mr Spicer in March 2020, was meanwhile said to have attracted viewers of Fox News since Mr Trump’s election loss, and subsequent White House departure.