Day 847: Why are taxpayers paying government press secretaries if they won’t do their main job?

Gene Simmons of KISS fame appeared at the Pentagon as the Donald Trump administration continued to try and goad Iran into a conflict. Simmons stood at the podium in the briefing room and told a poignant story about his mother surviving the Holocaust.

But his appearance also underscored how long it’s been since a Pentagon spokesperson stood at that same podium: nearly a year.

Across the Potomac River, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders hasn’t had the courage to take her podium since before the Robert Mueller report confirmed she brazenly lied to Americans. Instead, Sanders has retreated to the friendly confines of Fox News for softball questions when she does speak.

It’s been so long since Sanders made an appearance at the White House podium that it has literally been collecting dust.

The now 66-day absence for Sanders is an ignominious record for non-transparency. It’s the longest for any administration since at least before Bill Clinton’s administration. The new mark breaks two others that were previously set earlier this year by Sanders. In fact, in five and a half months, there have been a total of less than an hour’s worth of formal briefings.

So far, Sanders has held only two formal press briefings in 2019. On both occasions, the briefing lasted for just 30 minutes or less. Occasionally, she will talk with reporters in the White House driveway, but those interactions are sporadic at best.

So if the White House, Pentagon and a slew of other departments aren’t having their press secretaries do a key component of their job, why are taxpayers footing the bill to pay their considerable, six-figure salaries?

847 days in, 615 to go

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