Sean Spicer Speaks out on Criticism Over 'Dancing With the Stars' Casting: 'I'm Very Happy With Who I Am'

Sean Spicer is speaking out about his Dancing With the Stars Season 28 casting. After the professional dancers and their celebrity counterparts were announced on the Wednesday, Aug. 21 episode of ABC's Good Morning America, controversy swirled surrounding the choice to have Spicer take the stage. The former aide to President Donald Trump, who resigned from the position in 2017 after just seven months, however, isn't letting the backlash get to him.

"I'm going out and having some fun. I'm going to enjoy myself, and if more people like me, than that's great. I'm very happy with who I am. I'm very happy with the friends that I have," Spicer told Mediaite Wednesday in response to a New York Times piece that criticized his casting. "The idea that I need this to make myself feel better is preposterous. I'm in this because I enjoy it. I'm very comfortable with who I am, what I believe and who I support, and that's it."

Along with criticism from fans, his casting was also criticized by Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron, who subtly addressed the casting on Instagram, writing that DWTS should be "free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations."

During his time on the dancing competition, Spicer is hoping to change Bergeron's view of him.

"My hope is that the he sees how bringing diverse group of people can help instill a greater degree of stability and respect among people in this country," the former White House Press Secretary said. "My overall hope is that at the end of this season that Tom looks at this and says, bringing people together of very diverse backgrounds, whether it's in politics or other areas, and allowing them to show America how we can engage in a really respectful and civil way, is actually a way to help bring the country together as opposed to bring it apart."

Spicer went on to explain that he was initially approached to be on the show just after he left the White House, though the timing wasn't right and he chose not to appear on Dancing With the Stars. Now, however, he feels that he can juggle the competition and the rest of his daily life.

"This is an opportunity to have some fun," he saide.

Spicer will be joined by celebrities Karamo Brown Hannah Brown, Lauren Alaina, James Van Der Beek, Ray Lewis, Kate Flannery, Ally Brooke, Lamar Odom, Kel Mitchell, and Christie Brinkley.

Their professional dancer counterparts are Mirrorball Trophy are Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Cheryl Burke, Emma Slater, Gleb Savchenko, Jenna Johnson, Keo Motsepe, Lindsay Arnold, Peta Murgatroyd, Sasha Farber, Val Chmerkovskiy, Witney Carson, Pasha Pashkov, and Daniella Karagach.

Dancing With the Stars season 28 premieres on Sept. 16, 2019 on ABC.