Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
A publicist for Sean Spicer says the former White House press secretary was “taken aback” by allegations of racism at a Friday book signing event in Rhode Island. Spicer was promoting his new book in Middletown and speaking about his experiences in the White House when a man in the crowd confronted him. The man, identified in local news reports as Massachusetts resident Alex Lombard, first reminded Spicer that the two had attended Portsmouth Abbey School together. The interaction started out friendly enough, with Spicer smiling and people in the crowd laughing as Lombard said, “You don’t remember that you tried to fight me?” A member of Spicer’s security detail sprung into action, however, when Lombard said, “No, but you called me a nigger first. Remember? Remember?” Lombard was quickly escorted out of the event. Regnery Publishing publicist Lauren McCue later said Spicer “can’t recall any incident” like the “outrageous claim” made by Lombard.