Scaramucci in foul-mouthed attack on White House rivals
THE new White House director of communications has threatened to sack his entire team as divisions within the Trump administration escalated.
Anthony Scaramucci launched extraordinary, foul-mouthed attacks on both Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, and Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s chief strategist, in comments published last night.
The New York financier had all but accused Mr Priebus of leaking against him on live television yesterday.
“The fish stinks from the head down. But I can tell you two fish that don’t stink, and that’s me and the president,” Mr Scaramucci said on CNN.
He further exposed the animosity behind the scenes in an angry phonecall to a New Yorker magazine journalist, demanding to know who told him about a White House dinner attended by a Fox News host and former executive.
Ryan Lizza, the journalist, said Mr Scaramucci threatened to sack everyone in the communications department if he did not reveal the source of his information. He then claimed Mr Priebus would soon be forced out.
“They’ll all be fired by me,” he said. “I fired one guy the other day. I have three to four people I’ll fire tomorrow. I’ll get to the person who leaked that to you.
“Reince Priebus – if you want to leak something – he’ll be asked to resign very shortly.” He described Mr Priebus as a “paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac”. And added that he wanted to “f----kill all the leakers”.
Mr Scaramucci also accused Mr Bannon, the controversial former media executive, of serving his own interests. “I’m not Steve Bannon... I’m not trying to build my own brand off the f-----strength of the president. I’m here to serve the country.”
Mr Bannon declined to comment. Mr Priebus could not be reached.
Mr Scaramucci later tweeted: “I sometimes use colourful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realdonaldtrump’s agenda.”
Mr Scaramucci’s appointment was supposed to bring a fresh approach to Mr Trump’s media operation. But his belligerence has only emphasised the schisms within. His relationship with Mr Priebus was already fraught after it emerged the chief of staff was among the voices urging Mr Trump not to bring the Mooch, as he is nicknamed, into the White House earlier.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, was asked whether Mr Trump still had confidence in Mr Priebus, and pointedly failed to back him. “If he doesn’t, he’ll make changes,” she said. “And let you know.”