New White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci is winding up to fire staffers deemed insufficiently enthusiastic supporters of the President, according to two new reports.
The “Mooch,” as he’s known colloquially, told Politico Tuesday that he planned on dismissing assistant press secretary Michael Short, who worked at the Republican National Committee for years before coming to the White House alongside the former RNC president and spokesman, respectively, Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer.
Spicer resigned Friday, reportedly in response to Scaramucci’s appointment as communications director, and therefore, his superior if he had stayed in the administration.
Reports of his ouster were apparently news to Short, according to a tweet from CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond.
Michael Short: "No one has told me anything and the entire premise is false." Looks like Scaramucci is firing ppl without telling them first https://t.co/UqtsXuGerP
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) July 25, 2017
Short did not respond to TPM’s request for comment. Politico reported that the move was part of an effort from Scaramucci to crack down on leaks.
“I’m committed to taking the comms shop down to Sarah [Huckabee Sanders] and me, if I can’t get the leaks to stop,” he told the publication.
And the Washington Post reported Monday night, citing unnamed officials with knowledge of the effort, that Scaramucci was taking advantage of a “broad mandate” from the President “to purge aides he believes are disloyal to Trump and leaking to the press.”
The Post’s sources said Scaramucci was meeting individually with White House aides to “weed out” those who he deemed were “not working hard enough” to defend Trump.
The Post reported Scaramucci planned to work quickly to make the staffing changes. Short’s eventual dismissal, should it happen, would provide the first example of Mooch’s haste.
Scaramucci is what is known in mob terms as an enforcer. He’s the guy who took Fredo out in the rowboat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Ba'ath_Party_Purge
Saddam hurriedly convened an assembly of party leaders on July 22. During the assembly, which he ordered videotaped, he claimed to have uncovered a fifth column within the party. Abdel-Hussein, broken after days of physical torture and under the threat of his family’s execution, confessed to taking a leading role in a Syrian-backed plot against the Iraqi government and gave the names of 68 alleged co-conspirators. These were removed from the room one by one as their names were called and taken into custody. After the list was read, Saddam congratulated those still seated in the room for their past and future loyalty
When he is finished Scaramucci will be the Chief of Staff AND the White House Communications Director.
Priebus is toast. He may as well start clearing out is desk now (Scaramucci wants your job and will get it.)
Bannon is on notice and will probably keep his title, but only have a “Director of Looking Out the Window” power and may resign in disgust.
Trump is “circling the wagons” and wants a Hedge-Fund-Asshole in charge of defending him. He gets that with Scaramucci.
Next up after cleaning out the WH;
Fire Jeff Sessions. Pressure the AAG to fire Mueller, when he won’t do it, fire him too.
Nominate Rudy Juilliani for AG and Chis Christie for AAG (both as RECESS Appointments that McConnell won’t contest)
Grant Pardons to everyone in his Family and anybody who could testify against him.
It’s going to get ugly folks…
Careful, Mooch. If the spotlight shines too brightly on you, Orange Julius might get jealous and angry.
Dense Pence is awfully quiet, isn’t he ?