Sean Spicer 'was passed long notes' during White House press briefing on Donald Trump's cyber security order

One appeared to suggest that the order had been called off 'to listen to ideas'

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer holds up paperwork highlighting and comparing language about the National Security Council from the Trump administration and previous administrations during the daily press briefing at the White House (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Donald Trump's press secretary was passed strange notes during a press conference on a cyber security order, according to journalists who were there.

Sean Spicer was briefing journalists on an executive order that both he and the President have claimed is necessary to keep the country safe. But it emerged during that event that Mr Trump wouldn't actually be signing the bill as he was scheduled to, a change that was announced at the last minute and without explanation.

As Mr Spicer was talking about the events, he was being passed notes with different messages on, according to journalists who were in the room. Those notes appeared to be suggestions and alterations from Mr Trump, some speculated.

Eventually Mr Trump would cancel the signing of the executive order entirely, and instruction that also appears to have been sent to Mr Spicer in a note.

A|lie Molloy, a White House producer at CNN, posted a picture of a message that had been left on Mr Spicer's lectern after the event was over.

It appeared to indicate that the decision to postpone the signing had been taken at the last minute, and that the administration would instead "listen to ideas today first".

It still hasn't been publicly made clear why Mr Trump called off the signing of the executive order at the last minute.