The message came just two hours following the White House's official announcement that the president had accepted Sean Spicer's resignation. Trump tweets: Spicer 'took tremendous abuse from the Fake News Media'

President Donald Trump praised outgoing White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Twitter Friday, while griping that he endured "tremendous abuse" from news outlets.

"Sean Spicer is a wonderful person who took tremendous abuse from the Fake News Media - but his future is bright!" the president said in a social media post late Friday.


The message came just two hours following the White House's official announcement that the president had accepted Spicer's resignation, a move that caused a big shake-up for the White House press team. The Trump administration also announced on Friday that Anthony Scaramucci, a former Wall Street financier and occasional TV analyst, would take over the vacant communications director role, and that deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders would take over for Spicer, though he will stay on in the White House through August.

In multiple White House statements Friday Trump praised Spicer's "great television ratings," despite Spicer not delivering an on-camera briefing since June 20. The lack of screen time has been a growing point of contention among the White House press corps.

Spicer's press briefings, which were frequently carried live by broadcasters, were marked by repeated heated exchanges with reporters. They also gained increasing cultural prominence, with parodies filing the airwaves of late-night TV.

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President Trump thanked Spicer for his contributions to the West Wing in a statement Friday night.

“I am grateful for Sean’s work on behalf of my Administration and the American people,” he said, according to the press secretary's office.

Scaramucci, whose addition to the White House reportedly drove Spicer to resign Friday, praised Spicer in his first appearance at the press podium, adding that he hopes the former GOP communications officials "goes on to make a tremendous amount of money.”

Spicer said it was a “tremendous honor” to serve the president as press secretary in a statement, adding: “In just 6 months, President Trump and his staff have done great work to advance the interests of the American people, both at home and abroad. President Trump’s unwavering commitment to making America great again will no doubt ensure that these successes continue in the coming months and years.”