Trump’s biggest problem with last week’s 'SNL' was that a woman played Sean Spicer

Impact

President Donald Trump was not at all pleased with Feb. 4's Saturday Night Live. Specifically, Trump was miffed by comedian Melissa McCarthy's portrayal of White House press secretary Sean Spicer. If there's one thing Trump doesn't like it's weakness. And weak is exactly how Trump saw Spicer, according to a Politico report, thanks to McCarthy's portrayal. 

Why, though, did Trump think Spicer appeared weak in McCarthy's send-up? Not because the whole nation laughed at the motif of a bumbling, belligerent press secretary who spews falsehoods, but rather because Spicer was played by a woman. 

"More than being lampooned as a press secretary who makes up facts, it was Spicer's portrayal by a woman that was most problematic in the president's eyes, according to sources close to him," said the Politico report.

Spicer, for his part, was for once magnanimous. He offered some relatively gentle criticism — "There's a streak of meanness that they have kind of crossed over into," Spicer said of SNL — but described McCarthy's turn at the fake podium as "cute" and "funny."

That doesn't quite sound like it's going to burnish Spicer's image as a guy strong enough for his boss. Politico suggested "the unflattering send-up by a female comedian was not considered helpful for Spicer's longevity in the grueling, high-profile job."

So "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" might not be the TV catchphrase Spicer needs to be on the lookout for. Instead, it's the signature Trump line from The Apprentice: "You're fired!"