In the past, White House briefings have had a tendency to live somewhere between informative and dry.
But following the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, the daily updates took on a life of their own over the last year.
Trump’s first choice for press secretary came out of the gate fired up, as Sean Spicer‘s first interaction with the media was a combative one.
Spicer would soon become a target of comedians, late night shows and Trump himself — ultimately eroding his authority and forcing him to resign on July 21.
Believing Spicer’s exit would restore calm to the White House Press Room was hopeful, as Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci and newly appointed press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders picked up where Spicer left off.
Here are some of the most memorable White House press briefing moments of 2017.
Sean Spicer attacks media in first press briefing, claims Trump attracted ‘largest audience to ever witness an inauguration’
Sean Spicer made a strong first impression on Jan. 21, when he used his first press briefing to continue a narrative that the media was out to get U.S. President Donald Trump with “fake news” and misleading information — including claiming media outlets misreported the size of the crowd for Trump’s inauguration.
An agitated Spicer refuted the reports, citing public transit ridership numbers, the angles at which photos were taken, and grass coverings that highlighted “areas where people were not standing” in defence of the crowd gathered for the 45th presidential inauguration.
“This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period. Both in person and around the globe,” Spicer said.
Kellyanne Conway would famously defend Spicer days later, characterizing the information released by the White House as “alternative facts.”
Two days later, Spicer attempted to make up with members of the media by making light of his firebrand style.
Spicer calls Canadian PM ‘Joe Trudeau’
In February, Spicer slipped up when he mixed up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s name.
Spicer referred to Canada’s leader as “Joe Trudeau,” while thanking him for meeting with Trump during a visit to Washington.
READ MORE: Sean Spicer’s ‘Joe Trudeau’ latest in list of Trump cabinet flubs
While it’s more likely that Spicer stumbled over his words than it is that he doesn’t know the prime minister’s name, it’s a slip up that gave Canadians (and others) a good laugh on social media, with many references to the standard Joe from Canada from an old Molson Canadian advertisement.
Spicer apologizes after claiming Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons
In April, Spicer was forced to apologize after claiming to reporters that Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons during the Second World War when addressing concerns over Russia’s links to Syria.
During the press briefing, Spicer compared Syrian President Bashar al Assad to Hitler, suggesting the Nazi leader didn’t “sink to using chemical weapons.”
READ MORE: Death tolls rises to 72 from chemical attack in Syria
Hitler and his Nazi regime used gas chambers during the war to kill millions of people including Jews, homosexuals and people with disabilities.
Spicer later apologized to NBC News, saying he was “well aware” of Hitler’s actions and added that “it was a distinction that didn’t need to get made.”
Sean Spicer snubs White House reporters during press briefing
White House correspondents’ reaction to a snub from Spicer on May 2 bordered on comedic, after leaving a briefing led by budget manager Mick Mulvaney without taking questions from reporters.
Correspondents were eager to clarify comments in which Trump said he would be “honoured” to meet Kim Jong-un, leaving them to call his name in an attempt to shame him back to the podium.
Sean Spicer avoids reporters by hiding in the bushes
One of Spicer’s more bizarre moments came in May, when The Washington Post reported he hid in the bushes to avoid reporter questions following Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey.
Spicer reportedly wanted to return to his office but the path to his desk was blocked by reporters seeking answers over the bombshell announcement about Comey’s dismissal.
READ MORE: Sean Spicer mocked on Twitter after report emerges he hid in bushes to avoid press
After a few minutes camped out in the dark near some bushes and moving behind a tall hedge, an assistant emerged to let reporters know Spicer would field questions off-camera.
Spicer reportedly appeared, telling reporters, “Just turn the lights off. Turn the lights off.
The incident naturally became a lightning rod for fodder on Twitter.
Anthony Scaramucci named Communications Director, fired after 10 days
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WH communications director has ’empathy’ for media, but dislikes bias -
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Trump’s communications director apologizes for calling him a ‘hack’ -
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White House communications director won’t commit to daily briefings -
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Trump has ‘karma’ on his side, will get health care ‘win’: White House -
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Communications director to let Trump ‘express his personality’ further
Following Spicer’s controversy-filled six months and Trump’s decision to appoint Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as his top communications official, Spicer resigned on July 21.
Scaramucci, himself a replacement for Mike Dubtke, who resigned from the post two months earlier, tried to charm White House reporters in his introduction.
He thanked Spicer for his service, expressed “empathy” towards the media for the work they do, and vigourously defended Trump and his “New York style” brashness. “The Mooch” even blew a kiss to gather press at the conclusion of his first briefing.
READ MORE: Anthony Scaramucci out as White House communications director
But Scaramucci’s time in the White House was brief — just 10 days — after the former Wall Street hedge fund manager targeted “leakers,” only to commit the most embarrassing leak himself.
Scaramucci called a reporter at the New Yorker on July 26 to complain about leaks in the White House in a profanity-laced rant, and also lambasted Trump’s then-chief of staff Reince Preibus and adviser Steve Bannon.
That mistake spelled the kiss of death for Scaramucci, who was sacked by Chief of Staff John Kelly on July 31.
White House adviser gets into heated debate over new immigration bill
Just days later, Trump aide Stephen Miller led a press briefing which erupted into an argument with a CNN reporter Jim Acosta about recently introduced immigration legislation, specifically the stipulation that those hoping to immigrate to the United States must speak English and be highly skilled.
Acosta cited verses chiseled on the Statue of Liberty — specifically a line reading, “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” — to question if the Trump administration was attempting to “change what it means to be an immigrant” coming to the U.S.
READ MORE: Trump aide accuses CNN reporter of ‘cosmopolitan bias’ in argument over immigration law
The pair argued for several minutes before Acosta jested whether the English-first clause meant the U.S. would only take in immigrants from Great Britain and Australia.
Miller shot back, saying the statement revealed Acosta’s “cosmopolitan bias,” in thinking that only immigrants from Great Britain and Australia would speak English.
Thirteen-year-old boy invited to cut White House lawn, holds impromptu briefing
In September, Frank Giaccio, an 11-year-old from the Washington suburb of Falls Church, took over the White House press room podium after being offered an opportunity to cut the presidential lawn.
READ MORE: Donald Trump takes up 11-year-old’s offer to mow White House lawn
Giaccio was invited to follow through on his dream of mowing the Rose Garden grass after writing Trump to say he admired his business acumen.
Giaccio thanked the president, Huckabee Sanders and his father for the opportunity to visit the White House.
White House offers ‘sobering’ analogy to explain Trump’s tax plan
In October, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders used a somewhat involved analogy featuring drinking reporters and their bar tab to explain why the Trump administration’s tax plan was fair for all incomes.
The long-winded explanation, which played up stereotypes that reporters have an affinity for alcohol, required a notepad and pen to keep up with the math equations.
Unfortunately, the presentation was more akin to someone telling a bad joke, as Huckabee Sanders followed up the “silly story” by saying, “I’ll be happy to get that story to everybody so that you can get those numbers later.”
Not an easy year for White House press secretaries
Following White House press briefings on a daily basis proved one thing: working in the Trump administration’s communications department is a challenging role.
Whether it was Sean Spicer, Anthony Scaramucci or Sarah Huckabee Sanders, anyone who stood in front of the podium in 2017 faced tough questions about the president’s actions.
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Trump won’t hold himself to a higher standard than cable anchors -
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ slip of the tongue says President Obama not Trump -
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders clashes with White House Press Corps -
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SNL makes music video out of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ White House press briefing -
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White House defends Trump ‘joke’ about police brutality -
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White House defends Trump’s ‘sons of b*tches’ comments on NFL protests -
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White House refused to answer if ‘very fine people’ among those protesting national anthem -
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Why is President Trump ignoring Puerto Rico to tweet about the NFL? -
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White House suggests NFL players should protest police directly -
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White House won’t say why Trump attacked mayor of San Juan
-With files from The Associated Press.
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