Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer was eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars” on Monday after a series of lackluster performances on the ABC ballroom dancing competition.
Spicer had the lowest judges scores for four consecutive weeks, but when combined with the viewer vote, managed to avoid getting cut. President Donald Trump used his vast Twitter following to encourage viewers to vote for Spicer a couple times, including last week.
After tonight’s elimination, Trump tweeted, “A great try by @seanspicer. We are all proud of you!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1194089337887109126
Spicer’s exit comes after a fraught tenure on the show for the former Trump administration official.
The announcement that Spicer, who famously lied about the size of the audience at Trump’s inauguration during his very first press briefing, was met with scorn from critics on social media and even from host Tom Bergeron.
Also Read: Sean Spicer Agrees With Fox News Anchor That His 'DWTS' Performance 'Really Wasn't That Bad'
Bergeron criticized the show for Spicer’s inclusion, arguing that “DWTS” should be a “joyful respite” from the “exhausting political climate.” Spicer downplayed the criticism at the time, saying he looked forward to “having some fun.”
Out of the gate, Spicer also proved to be one of the weakest performers on the show. In his final appearance, he and partner Jenna Johnson (filling in for Lindsay Arnold) scored 6s and 7s for their dances, whereas the remaining couples scored 9s and 10s. Still, he managed to be the seventh contestant to leave the show (including the withdrawal of Ray Lewis due to injury).
“Dancing With the Stars” is not the first time Spicer has tried to capitalize on his public profile since leaving the Trump administration. He also made a brief cameo two years ago at the Emmys, hosted by Stephen Colbert, to poke fun at his own reputation for lying. That appearance was similarly lambasted by viewers, who saw it as an attempt to soften Spicer’s public image.
