Press Secretary Josh Earnest Rebukes Successor Sean Spicer: I’ve Never Threatened To Eject Reporters

Politico reports:

White House press secretary Josh Earnest on Thursday issued an implicit rebuke of his successor, Sean Spicer, who tangled with a CNN reporter in New York on Wednesday at Donald Trump’s first news conference as president-elect.

According to CNN reporter Jim Acosta, Spicer threatened to throw him out the presser after Acosta repeatedly requested that Trump allow him to ask a question. Spicer later questioned Acosta’s version of events and demanded that he apologize.

“I can never recall a scenario in which I was tempted to throw somebody out of the room,” even when he was most frustrated with a reporter, Earnest said at the afternoon’s daily briefing. “I can certainly say that that’s not something I ever threatened to do, even if the thought crossed my mind.”