The Sean Spicer era is over, and that's a good thing for President Trump.
Spicer, the president's embattled press secretary, resigned Friday morning. In his place will be deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has done some communications work for the president in recent weeks and who will be promoted.
Spicer leaves amid turmoil that culminated with the president's hiring of New York financier Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director; Scaramucci would have been Spicer's boss.
Spicer, it was reported by various news entities, was not happy with Scaramucci's hiring and resigned.
Good. It should have happened weeks ago.
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President Trump's battles with the media are well documented, and it's impossible to imagine he will change during his time in office. But Spicer didn't help.
Spicer's first appearance as press secretary was confrontational and based upon very questionable data about attendance at the president's inauguration.
"This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period," Spicer said while chastising reporters in that first meeting back in January.
Much information exists to show Spicer's declaration was factually questionable, if not an outright falsehood. It created an instant distrust between Spicer and the press, and it created an environment that never really improved in the months that followed.
Over time, Spicer became a caricature, lampooned on national television programs. The fairness or unfairness of this doesn't matter. It's how many saw him. He had to go.
Enter Scaramucci, whose introductory press conference Friday showed sincerity and openness to suggestions. He was easygoing and talked with the media pool - something Spicer never really did.
He overused the word "love" throughout the press conference - saying it maybe a dozen or more times as he discussed the president and other staff members. It was odd, but it showed a personal touch Spicer never showed.
He told reporters that "we're going to make it a very fun place to work." We doubt that really can happen, but we like that he said it.
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Scaramucci even said he will consider bringing back televised press briefings, which disappeared during Spicer's tenure.
As the president has done throughout his administration, his appointment of Scaramucci isn't based upon experience. Scaramucci has never been in a communications role, but instead made a name for himself as the founder of a global investment company. His press background is limited to serving as a contributor to Fox News. He has been a staunch defender of the president.
We read that he has a good relationship with journalists from other news outlets, too. Friday, he was as smooth and suave as Spicer was clumsy and abrasive.
Scaramucci's experience doesn't really matter to us, but it is time for a better relationship between the administration and the media. And if the president ever hopes to improve his abysmal approval ratings, it could never happen with Spicer as his mouthpiece.
-- The Grand Forks Herald
