"I think you’ll find there is a lot less palace intrigue than is reported. Because we all genuinely like each other."

He vowed to "sell" the president's message more effectively.

"I think the policies are fantastic. We just need to get it out there a little more aggressively. And I think we are going to do that," he said.

Mr Spicer’s departure had been long predicted, yet still came as something of a shock.

The 45-year-old had become perhaps the most recognisable face of Mr Trump’s administration – in part due to the savage mockery at the hands of Melissa McCarthy, who parodied him, to devastating effect, week after week on Saturday Night Live.