Sean Spicer Ripped by Fans After ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Debut: He “Looks Like a Car Dealership Inflatable Guy”

On Monday night, former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made his Dancing with the Stars debut, although calling what he did “dancing” may be a little generous. Spicer and his professional partner Lindsay Arnold performed a salsa number to the Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life” (we see what you did there, ABC), and viewers — and the show’s judges — wasted little time before absolutely roasting him. Judge Bruno Tonioli told Spicer that he was “off beat for most of the dance,” and fans at home seemed to agree. As one Twitter user put it, “Sean Spicer looks like a car dealership inflatable guy.”

As soon as Spicer made his first appearance in the Dancing with the Stars Season 28 premiere, fans knew they were in for a trip. Wearing a neon green salsa dancer-meets-Captain Jack Sparrow getup, the former Trump official walked on stage and cheered for the crowd. Later in the show, Spicer finally got a chance to show off his moves during his salsa performance (watch his performance above). It should surprise no one to learn that those moves are limited.

While the judges appreciated Spicer and Arnold’s high energy, they weren’t super complimentary of the dance itself. “You were off beat most of the dance,” said judge Tonioli after the performance. “What were you doing up there? It was like you were being attacked by a swarm of wasps.” Ultimately, the dancing duo received a score of 12 out of 30 — not great, but also not the lowest of the night. That honor fell to Lamar Odom and pro Peta Murgatroyd, who received an 11/30 for their Foxtrot number.

DWTS viewers were equally critical of Spicer’s performance. “If Sean Spicer gotta be on #DWTS at least the costume designers are fighting back,” wrote one Twitter user of his outfit. “Sean Spicer looks like a car dealership inflatable guy,” tweeted another. “Wow even Sean Spicer’s hips lie,” added another viewer.

Early Tuesday morning, Spicer clapped back at his critics on Twitter. Retweeting a post from former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Spicer wrote, “Clearly the judges aren’t going to be with me. Let’s send a message to #Hollywood that those of us who stand for #Christ won’t be discounted.”

Spicer will continue his Dancing with the Stars journey every Monday — until he’s eliminated, which seems imminent given last night’s performance — at 8/7c on ABC. Watch his debut performance above.

Where to stream Dancing with the Stars