Protesting what he described as crushingly negative coverage of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said crowd size comparisons damaged the new administration’s morale.

“The default narrative is always negative,” Spicer said during a rapid-pace press briefing debut Monday. “And that’s demoralizing.”

It was Spicer’s first appearance behind the podium since he delivered a furious tirade Saturday against the press for their accurate coverage of crowds at Trump’s inauguration. That session, which misstated several facts, ended with Spicer walking away as reporters shouted their queries.

Monday’s briefing was more cordial, and Spicer was careful to avoid the areas he