Press secretary Sean Spicer officially leaving White House

WASHINGTON – White House press secretary Sean Spicer, whose bombastic briefings made him a political celebrity, is officially leaving the building.

Spicer resigned last month after President Donald Trump hired financier Anthony Scaramucci as his communications chief. But he remained on the payroll through the end of August.

Scaramucci left the administration after just 10 days.

In a farewell email, Spicer says the job has been the “honour of a lifetime” and thanks the president for the opportunity.

Since he resigned, Spicer has been seen around the White House, though he has been less visible.

On Trump’s first full day in office, Spicer lambasted journalists over coverage of the crowd size at the inauguration. He became widely known, particularly after the impersonation by Melissa McCarthy on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”