Story highlights Spicer: 'The default narrative is always negative'

Monday's briefing was more cordial than Spicer's weekend appearance in briefing room

Washington (CNN) Protesting what he described as crushingly negative coverage of President Donald Trump's inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said crowd size comparisons damaged the new administration's morale.

"The default narrative is always negative," Spicer said during a rapid-pace press briefing debut Monday. "And that's demoralizing."

It was Spicer's first appearance behind the podium since he delivered a furious tirade Saturday against the press for their accurate coverage of crowds at Trump's inauguration. That session, which misstated several facts, ended with Spicer walking away as reporters shouted their queries.

Monday's briefing was more cordial, and Spicer was careful to avoid the areas he got wrong on Saturday. But his explanation for the combative response to the crowd size issue was nonetheless his most expansive answer in a session studded with questions about economic policy and foreign matters.

"There is this constant theme to undercut the enormous support that he has," Spicer said. "And I think it's just unbelievably frustrating when you are continually told it is not big enough, not good enough, you can't win."

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