The Communications Novice at the Heart of Spicer's Exit
The Communications Novice at the Heart of Spicer's Exit, Anthony Scaramucci finds himself at the center of the latest storm in President Donald Trump’s White House after Sean Spicer resigned from his position as press secretary Friday. According to The New York Times, Spicer quit after telling Trump that he strongly disagreed with the appointment of Scaramucci as the new communications director. It was first reported by Axios Thursday that the Wall Street financier was expected to be imminently announced to the position.
Here’s some background on the expected latest member of the White House.
He Donated to Obama in 2008
A former employee at Goldman Sachs at Lehman Brothers, Scaramucci, known as “The Mooch” on Wall Street, founded his own hedge-fund firm SkyBridge Capital in 2005. Scaramucci soon began to make his influence, and money, felt in politics. In 2008, he was a donor to the campaign for Democrat Barack Obama. But by the time 2012 had come around, he had switched his allegiance, and his check book, to Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
“He seemed like he was going to be a transformative candidate,” Scaramucci said of Obama to The New York Times in 2011. “I’m really not an ideological guy, and I think the country right now needs more practical, less partisan people.”
His Previous Hopes of an Administration Position Were Dashed
Scaramucci was an early backer of Trump and fundraised during his campaign. The mutual appreciation between the two was such that Scaramucci announced he intended to sell his stake in SkyBridge Capital earlier this year in anticipation of being named to a White House post. However, the planned sale of the firm to a Chinese conglomerate was not enough to avoid conflicts of interest and Scaramucci’s name was withdrawn from consideration for the job as liaison to the business community. It was reported at the time that there remained an intention to give him a role in the administration at a later date.
He Has Been at the Heart of the “Fake News” Debate
It was Scaramucci who was at the heart of a CNN story that led to three employees of the cable news network resigning last month. The piece cited anonymous sources claiming that the Senate Intelligence Committee was investigating a chief executive of a Russian investment fund who met with Scaramucci before the inauguration. Following the publication of the story, Scaramucci went on the attack against CNN.
“Once you start to lose your integrity and your reputation as a news organization, people start to get tone deaf,” he told “Fox & Friends.”
No Communications Experience
Scaramucci has no communications experience, which is reported to be at least one of the sources of Spicer’s and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus’ opposition to his appointment. But Trump is a big fan of the way Scaramucci has repeatedly and vigorously defended the White House. He has come to the defense of the beseiged president on multiple occasions, including suggesting that Democrats might be responsible for the wave of threats against Jewish Community Centers shortly after Trump’s inauguration and standing up for Donald Trump Jr. recently amid revelations about his meeting with a Russian government attorney.
It's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are. Don't forget @TheDemocrats effort to incite violence at Trump rallies google.com/amp/www.breitb…
.@DonaldJTrumpJr is a virtuous and honorable man. Virtue means the courage to act with integrity. Don does that everyday. #stopwitchunt
Scaramucci has also said that sanctions against Russia, imposed following accusations of Russian hacking, and questioned by Trump, should be removed. According to two White House officials cited by Politico, Trump “thinks he is really good at making the case for him. “He loves him on TV."”
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