Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Kelly In, Scaramucci Out at White House
Anthony Scaramucci.
Gen. John Kelly kicked off his tenure as White House Chief of Staff with a bang, booting recently named Communication Director Anthony Scaramucci.
“Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Monday afternoon. “Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give chief of staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best.”
A White House official said Kelly wanted Scaramucci removed from his new role as the communications director because he did not think he was disciplined and had burned his credibility.
This makes Scaramucci the third communications director to leave the White House in two months, following Sean Spicer who left 10 days ago, and Mike Dubke who departed in late May. Kelly decided that the flamboyant Scaramucci added to the sense of chaos permeating the White House, especially in recent weeks.
Scaramucci’s departure comes days after he unleashed a vulgar tirade against two top White House officials in a conversation with a reporter.
After Ryan Lizza, a reporter for The New Yorker and a CNN contributor, broke the news that Scaramucci was having dinner with Fox News host Sean Hannity and former top Fox News executive Bill Shine, Scaramucci called to try to force Lizza to give up his source.
Scaramucci suspected that Priebus was the leaker and slammed the former chief of staff.
“Reince is a [expletive] paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he said, mimicking Priebus when he added, ”’Let me leak the [expletive] thing and see if I can [expletive] block these people the way I [expletive] blocked Scaramucci for six months.'”
And in a comment that drew consternation from even some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Scaramucci slammed White House strategist Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump adviser, for what Scaramucci considered was trying to build his own brand from the White House.
“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own [expletive]” he said.
Exit question: Does Gen. Kelly’s quick decision indicate he can calm the turbulent White House?
Published in Politics
I hope so.
What will you remember most fondly of the Scaramucci Era?
Gen. Kelley to Mooche:
“Put that coffee down!!”
I guess that’s a success story. Mooche convinced Priebus to go away. Victory.
Maybe. It seems reasonable that Reince Priebus was kept on as Chief of Staff as President Trump somewhat surprisingly was elected to that office. It also is not surprising to see an early departure, same reasoning. Scaramucci coming on board was a move that almost insured the departure of Priebus. If the President made those moves so that he could get the Chief of Staff that he wants, he would not let Scaramucci remain as an obstacle to making that work.
Moderator Note:
VulgarityBesides, if you keep a disloyal [redacted] that talks that way about his boss, you’re asking for trouble. Good move by Kelly.
Later, Mooch. Good move by John Kelly.
The bulging eyes and the wide, fish-like mouth.
Is he the new form of a hit man?
Scaramucci insults Priebus, nudging him out of the room, and Priebus’ replacement immediately kicks out Scaramucci. It’s like an old-timey slapstick routine.
Firing Mooch is the right call, but Mooch is the symptom not the cause of what afflicts the administration.
How quick it was.
Bannon wins.
I think there’s a good chance the White House will operate better than the past six months.
That’s not how you spell Kelly.
Unlikely, but we can hope. My guess is that he does calm things in the short run, but the chaos returns in about 2 months. Either way, kudos to Trump for allowing Kelly to fire the Mooch.
Let’s hope.
I hope so.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask for Prebius’s and Spicer’s resignations and replace them outright?
That duckface…
Didn’t you see Wolf Blitzer trying for 15 minutes to get Priebus to spew some sordid details about his resignation with no success? Difficult to go after Trump for any of this, I’m sure media just loves that, not.
That I couldn’t get Bohemian Rhapsody out of my head for 11 straight days. I guess there’ll be plenty of time for Scaramucci to do the Fandango now!
My initial reaction to Priebus was, “Oh, god, it’s starting,” but the best case scenario was that Kelly was transferred in order to clean house. This is a step in the right direction on that front.
Dancing with the Stars?
its brevity
Good for Kelly and good for Trump. Scaramucci was too much.
Scaramucci mémoires coming soon. Not mooch I’m afraid when compared to similar works.
More than anything, I hope I will remember the end of it as the moment that portended President Trump’s deciding that, after all, he didn’t “know more than the generals,” and the moment he brought in an adult to run White House operations, and let him get on with it, unimpeded.
That’s my fever dream, anyway.
Going to hire the BEST people…… hahahahahah.
The way the President is handling this now appears to me that he is not really in charge. Grabbing the popcorn and watching your staff go through this intrigue seems… not in charge.