ONE of the golden rules for a spin doctor to enjoy a long career is not to become the focus of the story.
Chatter about a new political hire should be kept “inside the beltway” – the US phrase used to describe the collection of journalists, lobbyists and politicos who enjoy Washington insider tittle-tattle.
The appointment of financier Anthony Scaramucci – whose nickname is the Mooch – as the White House communications director breaks all conventional rules. Not only has his arrival dominated media coverage of the Trump Presidency for days, but the decision has also triggered a civil war in the administration.
Sean Spicer, Trump's derided press secretary, resigned in protest, while the Mooch also appears to have had a hand in chief of staff Reince Priebus leaving the building.
In a profanity-splattered rant to a New Yorker journalist Scaramucci, who revels in speaking before engaging his brain, took aim at Priebus.
“Reince is a f*****g paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he said.
The Mooch, whose job is to help craft the White House message in language that serves the purpose of helping the President, also addressed claims he craves media attention.
“I'm not [Trump strategist] Steve Bannon, I'm not trying to suck my own cock... I'm not trying to build my own brand off the f*****g strength of the President. I'm here to serve the country."
He claimed White House staff had been leaking information: “They’ll all be fired by me. I fired one guy the other day. I have three to four people I’ll fire tomorrow. I’ll get to the person who leaked that to you. Reince Priebus – if you want to leak something – he’ll be asked to resign very shortly.”
Scaramucci, like Trump, is a political butterfly who finally got lucky after years searching for a nest to land on.
Between 2001 and 2008 Trump sympathised with the Democrats, said nice things about the Clintons, and was liberal on abortion and gun control. A decade later he won the White House after suggesting women should be punished for having abortions and denouncing attempts at curbing the right to bear arms.
Similarly Scaramucci, a fellow New Yorker, once donated to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore and has always been a social liberal. And during the Republican presidential primary the Mooch backed Scott Walker and Jeb Bush before reluctantly cashing in his chips with his future boss.
In 2015, he also criticised Trump in colourful terms his new Twitter followers will immediately recognise. “He's a hack politician….I’ll tell you who he’s gonna be president of, you can tell Donald I said this: the Queens County Bullies Association,” he said. “You are an inherited-money dude from Queens County. Bring it.”
Now, just like Trump, he has U-turned on his moderate instincts and embraced right-wing populism with a vengeance.
“I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realDonaldTrump’s agenda,” he tweeted recently.
Born on Long Island in 1964, Scaramucci comes from middle-class, Italian-American stock and has qualifications from Tufts University and Harvard Law School. Much of his career has been in finance, such as holding a variety of positions in Goldman Sachs between 1989 and 1996 before launching Oscar Capital Management.
He later founded SkyBridge Capital – an investment firm – and licensed the rights to Wall Street Week, a financial news programme which he hosted.
After belatedly supporting Trump, he was appointed to the President-elect’s Transition Team Executive Committee and was tipped to be director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. However, the appointment was delayed over doubts about his suitability and former Ideagen founder George Sifakis got the post instead.
Scaramucci looks to be having the last laugh. Past statements don’t seem to matter in Trumpworld and the Mooch will be the White House comms director – a far bigger job than the role he was expecting.
When Trump looks at Scaramucci he probably sees a younger, brasher version of himself: a foul-mouthed narcissist who stands for little other than his own advancement.
The pair also appear to share the view that the past is something to be ignored – witness Scaramucci trying to delete his old tweets – rather than studied.
His problem will be convincing the media and the wider political community of his credibility. Trump, remember, has a 'challenging' in-tray of problems. Russia, repealing Obamacare and delivering on the wild campaign promise about bringing jobs back to American shores.
Is the Mooch, whose recent press forays reveal a fondness for using the word “cock’, really the best option for communicating Trump’s message to a sceptical country and wider world?
Opinion in Washington seems to be divided – some folk think Scaramucci is a loudmouth who will crash and burn and make a monumental fool of himself, others will regard this assessment as overly kind and optimistic.
If the Trump administration has given the impression of being a circus, the Donald looks to have found himself a new clown.
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