Reporters confounded as Sean Spicer flees White House briefing without taking questions

At the White House daily briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer introduced a pair of opening acts — Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney — who were on hand to spin Donald Trump’s cave-in on the budget deal as a victory for Republicans.

Guests at White House briefings are not that unusual, but what happened after Kelly and Mulvaney spoke was. Instead of taking questions as he usually would, and as noted on the official White House briefing schedule, Spicer fled the briefing room and shouts from reporters, including April Ryan, who urged colleagues to stay in their seats and wait for Spicer to return:

pic.twitter.com/8iPJaiwZYD

— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) May 2, 2017

White House reporters reacted with shock and confusion on Twitter:

“There are a good number of reporters wondering what the hell is going on.” — @Acosta, live from the White House after Sean Spicer leaves.

— Matt Viser (@mviser) May 2, 2017

And @PressSec walks away without answering questions. Reporters object with shouts and moans. “He’s not coming back” is the word.

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 2, 2017

And @AprilDRyan wants the correspondents to stay in their seats to shame @PressSec into returning. pic.twitter.com/Jz5A6l7Ckl

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 2, 2017

That was strange. @PressSec just left the briefing room without taking any questions. Where is @seanspicer? pic.twitter.com/Ipcif752AO

— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) May 2, 2017

“He says he’s not coming back,” @PeterAlexander says after Spicer leaves press briefing without addressing media pic.twitter.com/ShIcBpqDDq

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 2, 2017

It was a bizarre moment, but not altogether unsurprising for an administration that regularly demonizes the press and attacks reporters who dare to ask questions.