WASHINGTON — He is not a dictator and won’t entertain the idea of a ‘‘Jedi mind-meld’’ with opponents. There is no ‘‘secret formula or special sauce’’ he can slip foes to make them see things his way. And not to worry, he says, the situation may look dire but won’t be an ‘‘apocalypse.’’

So who was the guy in a suit and tie who showed up Friday in the White House briefing room, mixing metaphors and references to ‘‘Star Wars’’ and ‘‘Star Trek”?