Anthony Scaramucci Off to a Wild Start as White House Communications Director

Anthony "The Mooch" Scaramucci,
Newly-Installed White House Communications Director

The White House's new Communications Director, an investment banker who started his career at Goldman Sachs, Anthony Scaramucci, burst on the scene like the veritable banty rooster, barking out orders like a character in "The Godfather," taking interviews without even attempting to "get up to speed," overconfident, cocky, yet smooth and disarming.

Despite opposing Trump's candidacy a year ago and likely still disagreeing with many of his policies, Scaramucci portrays himself as ultra-loyal to the president: 

"As you know from the Italian expression, the fish stinks from the head down. What I can tell you two fish that don't stink, okay, and that's me and the President. I don't like the activity that's going on in the White House. I don't like what they're doing to my friend. I don't like what they're doing to the President of the United States or their fellow colleagues in the West Wing."

In an article published today in the New Yorker, Ryan Lizza quotes the new communications director as not being so charitable with respect to White House Chief of Staff, referring to him as a "fuckin' paranoid schizophrenic," based on his belief that Reince Priebus had leaked the fact that Scaramucci dined last night with Sean Hannity and Bill Shine from Fox News as well as Donald and Melania Trump.

Ryan Lizza

Actually, it was "The Mooch" who proved paranoid as reporter Lizza made clear that Priebus was not his source in reporting the dinner.

In the same phone conversation reported by Ryan Lizza, Scaramucci also had choice words for White House adviser Steve Bannon:

"I'm not Steve Bannon, I'm not trying to suck my own dick.  I'm not trying to build my own brand off the fuckin' strength of the president. I'm here to serve the country."

Scaramucci, hired to get the Trump administration's message out there, has made himself the story.