UpdateTrump fires Scaramucci as communications director, after insisting ‘no WH chaos!’
Trump’s new chief of staff John Kelly requested the dismissal of Scaramucci, who was hired as communications boss 11 days ago
Anthony Scaramucci has been fired as White House communications director after just 11 days on the job — and just hours after former General John Kelly took over as US President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff.
Hoping to turn the page on a tumultuous opening chapter to his presidency, Trump had insisted earlier Monday that there was no “chaos” in his White House as he swore in the retired Marine general as his second chief of staff.
Not long after, Scaramucci, who shocked many with a profane outburst last week against then-chief of staff Reince Priebus, was gone, fired at the request of Kelly, according to the New York Times.
In the words of the White House announcement, he was leaving because he “felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team.” The three-sentence release concluded: “We wish him all the best.”
The statement about Scaramucci’s departure used the same “clean slate” language that departing press secretary Sean Spicer used to describe his reason for resigning on July 21 — the day Trump brought Scaramucci aboard.
Spicer was at the White House on Monday, saying he was assisting with the communications transitions.