Spicer, Chelsea Manning selected as Harvard visiting fellows

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning will join the Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics class of visiting fellows for the new academic year, the university announced on Wednesday.

Former Clinton campaign manager and current CNN political commentator Robby Mook and Kansas City Mayor Sly James Jr. also were announced as visiting fellows for 2017-18, Harvard said in a news release.

Other fellows previously announced for the academic year include the co-hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, as well as President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

"This expanded group of visiting fellows will be able to fulfill the institute's mission of engaging students in discourse on topical issues of today, including local politics with Mayor Sly James, election cybersecurity with Robby Mook, White House communications with Sean Spicer, and issues of LGBTQ identity in the military with Chelsea Manning," Emily Hall and Jason Ge, co-chairs of the institute's fellows program, said in the news release.

Spicer, who resigned from his White House position on July 21, signed a deal last week to hit the paid speaking circuit. He plans on speaking with corporations, trade associations, colleges and universities, and public lecture series on his perspective on the Trump administration, politics and conservative issues, according to Worldwide Speakers Group, which is representing him.

Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst behind one of the largest leaks of classified information in history, will be the institute's first transgender fellow, Harvard said. Since she was released from prison in May following former President Barack Obama's decision to commute her 35-year sentence, Manning has participated in New York City's Pride March and been photographed for Vogue Magazine's September issue.