Where is White House aide Sean Spicer?

During one of the most volatile cycles of the Trump administration, Press Secretary Sean Spicer has been out of the picture. The White House said that Spicer is fulfilling his Navy Reserve duties this week and that his job is not in jeopardy. Still, his absence at the height of this drama did not go unnoticed.

On the turbulent night that President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, Spicer gave a brief interview on Fox Business. But later that night, Spicer avoided the cameras. The Washington Post even reported that he retreated near bushes with staff before agreeing to answer questions in the dark. The paper later amended that report to say Spicer was "among" the bushes and not "in" them.

In the days since, Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been defending the White House's shifting message on the Comey firing to the White House press corps.

The Wall Street journal reported Spicer's absence is coincidental. He is on long-scheduled Navy Reserve duty just three miles away at the Pentagon.

Still, being out of the picture at such an important moment is problematic, according to political analyst Steve Adubato. He said that the Comey firing is a huge story and that Spicer "hiding in the bushes" sends the wrong MESSAGE.

Spicer has already had several missteps during these first few months. Among the most controversial were his comments that favorably compared Hitler to the Syrian regime.

The White House issued a new itinerary for Friday. Spicer will be back to his normal duties with the press briefing at 1:30 p.m.