Sarah Sanders Demands Press Share What They’re Thankful For During Briefing: Watch Their Responses

Today’s White House press briefing began with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson taking questions on President Donald Trump’s decision to designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. After addressing the press for a while, Tillerson ceded the podium back to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. And what we got was perhaps one of the more cringeworthy requests we’ve seen in the always cringeworthy briefing room.

Noting that Thanksgiving was coming up and this would be the last briefing before the holiday, the press secretary made a polite demand of the reporters in the room.

“This will be our last press briefing before the Thanksgiving holiday in this room,” she said. “So I want to share a few things that I’m thankful for and I think it would be nice for you guys to do so, as well, before asking your questions.”

Sanders explained that she was thankful for all of the people in the room, her family and faith, adding that she was “particularly thankful for the brave men and women of the military” as well as “police and first responders.” With that, she called on April Ryan, who told Sanders she was thankful for life, her children and the 20 years she’s been on the job as a White House reporter.

Throughout the rest of the briefing, the reporters would offer up what they were thankful for before answering, just as Sanders had requested. Two reporters gave thanks for the First Amendment, while another pointed out how he was thankful for the upcoming birth of a child while further noting that he was glad he went to Michigan rather than Ohio State.

And then there was Newsmax’s John Gizzi’s reply:

“I’m thankful for the position I have and the colleagues who are my friends. I’m thankful for my father, 96 years old and going strong, and to my wife, my heroine, thankful to her for saying yes on the fourth request.”

“My question is about Zimbabwe,” Gizzi continued, in a seamless and well-received segue.

Check out a clip of the White House press corps’ responses above.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona

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