Some White House aides are calling a short period of time a ‘Mooch’
Some White House aides have reportedly taken to calling a short period of time a “Mooch,” the nickname of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
The Associated Press reported the detail in a story Tuesday looking back at a particularly tumultuous two weeks of President Trump’s tenure over the summer that was punctuated by a senior staff shakeup at the White House.
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“The Mooch” had an exceptionally short tenure as communications director in the Trump White House, lasting only 10 days after a profanity-laced July 26 phone interview with then-New Yorker political correspondent Ryan Lizza helped prompt his ouster.
Scaramucci had unloaded on then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus during his phone call with Lizza, accusing the former Republican National Committee head of leaking details of a private dinner with Trump.
“Reince is a f—ing paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” Scaramucci told Lizza on the call in an interview he later said he thought was off the record.
“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own c—,” Scaramucci, 53, said in another part of the interview, referring to Trump’s then-White House chief strategist.
“I’m not trying to build my own brand off the f—ing strength of the president. I’m here to serve the country.”
The White House press secretary at the time, Sean Spicer, announced his intention to resign after Trump hired Scaramucci. Priebus also left, while Scaramucci was ousted days later when Trump tapped retired Gen. John Kelly to be his new chief of staff.
The AP’s story on Tuesday, titled “13 Days in July: The Trump White House’s crucible,” says that Scaramucci’s interview with Lizza was only part of the reason for the Wall Street financier’s dismissal from the White House.
“Trump was unwilling to share the spotlight with an aide, and came to believe Scaramucci had forgotten his place,” the AP story reads.
The AP noted that “several advisers” said that internal bickering was considerably reduced and order restored once Kelly, a retired four-star general and Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, replaced Priebus as chief of staff on July 28.
“Once myself, Reince and Steve were out of the picture, I think that moved the target off — it got people back to focus,” Spicer told the AP.
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