Dana Perino Reveals She Secretly Flipped Off Reporters During White House Briefings
Former White House press secretary Dana Perino admitted she used a water cup to hide a middle-finger gesture toward combative reporters while maintaining a polite smile during briefings under President George W. Bush.
Dana Perino, who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush, revealed that she secretly made an obscene gesture toward combative reporters during briefings while maintaining a polite smile. Perino described the habit during an interview on Sean Hannity's podcast, explaining that she kept a cup of water on the podium and used it to shield her hand from view while discreetly raising her middle finger.
«I would just sit there with my hand over my cup and just flip him off the entire time he was talking,» Perino told Hannity. «They'd be asking questions. I'd smile through it... [and] nod.» The gesture, which she jokingly likened to a form of «liquid courage,» gave her a small sense of defiance and confidence while she maintained her composure at the podium.
Perino served as Bush's press secretary from 2007 to 2009. She explained that her role required her to remain respectful and composed, even when facing reporters who, she believed, were more interested in securing television airtime than getting answers. «They would do anything to get on TV that night,» she recalled. «They would give a big windup and try to hit you so that they could make sure that they could get on air for one of the networks.»
The story remained private for years until Perino shared it with Hannity in a previous conversation. She later published it in her 2015 memoir, «And the Good News Is...,» and it drew attention from late conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. «When I did [Limbaugh's] radio show, he said, this is the best story ever,» Perino recalled. Hannity agreed, calling it «the greatest story ever told» by a White House press secretary and marveling at her unexpected display of defiance behind the podium.
Perino suggested that the pressure on reporters to produce memorable moments was already shaping exchanges during her tenure, but she believes the rise of social media has only intensified that dynamic. «It's worse now with social media,» she told Hannity.
The former press secretary, now a co-anchor of «America's Newsroom,» also recalled a conversation with Mike McCurry, who served as press secretary under President Bill Clinton, about whether allowing cameras into the White House briefing room had ultimately done more harm than good. The question of how televised briefings affect the relationship between the press and the White House remains a subject of debate among former officials.
Perino's account offers a rare glimpse into the personal tactics used by press secretaries to manage the stress of the briefing room. While the gesture was hidden from view, it reflects the tension that can build between the podium and the press corps. Perino's memoir and subsequent interviews have made the story one of the more colorful anecdotes from her time in the Bush administration.
Hannity's full conversation with Perino is available on iHeartRadio, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms.
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