Sean Spicer Briefly Returns to the IOP

UPDATED: April 20, 2018 at 12:45 a.m.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer spoke Thursday at an off-the-record Institute of Politics study group in the Kirkland Senior Common Room.

The conversation was to center around the 2018 midterm elections, according to an email sent over an Institute of Politics email list.

Spicer previously came to Harvard as a visiting fellow at the Institute in Oct. 2017, when he spent three days attending classes and off-the-record meals with students.

The IOP’s decision to grant Spicer the fellowship sparked pushback from students and alumni at the time. More than 600 Harvard alumni signed an open letter calling on the IOP to rescind its fellowships for Spicer and for former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

Following a tumultuous six months as President Donald Trump’s press secretary—including often-contentious exchanges with reporters—Spicer’s three days on campus were comparatively quiet.

While on campus in October, Spicer attended 11 events, all of them off-the-record and closed to the general public.

The IOP Weekly Newsletter did not feature an announcement of Spicer’s visit. The email announcing his visit was sent at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: April 20, 2018

A previous version of this article incorrectly indicated Sean Spicer participated in an off-the-record study group held in the Kirkland Junior Common Room. In fact, the study group was held in the Kirkland Senior Common Room.

—Staff writer Caroline S. Engelmayer can be reached at caroline.engelmayer@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @cengelmayer13.