Anthony Scaramucci has already signally failed to restore order at the White House - Independent

Donald Trump’s appointment of Anthony Scaramucci to be his director of communications has brought the chaotic, political fandango inside the White House to a new, dizzying pitch. Characterised by aggressive gestures, passionate yells and frequent missteps, it’s not a dance for the faint of heart. Scaramucci has taken to it with aplomb.

After just a week in the job, the ex-Goldman Sachs man has done what few thought possible by making the White House operation seem more gauche, more bullying and more shambolic than it did already. It is quite an achievement. His latest, unguarded broadsides against Reince “dear friend” Priebus and Steve “one of the smartest people I know” Bannon were so vulgar that the report of his comments on Radio 4’s Today programme was the broadcasting equivalent of an embarrassed blush.

A former financier who helped to raise funds for Barack Obama in 2008, Scaramucci switched sides four years later to back Mitt Romney. No wonder he seems to feel so comfortable stabbing colleagues in the back – or, as he put it in his extraordinarily oily interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, in the front.

Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist, is reported to have said that Scaramucci would get the director of comms job “over my dead body”. Bannon remains alive and kicking, although another prominent Trump staffer, Sean Spicer, was sufficiently angered by the appointment that he decided to fall on his sword – which, as it happens, is a euphemism Radio 4’s finest might have thought fitting to deploy.

Scaramucci’s outburst about Bannon and Priebus came in a phone conversation with the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, who had angered the White House man by tweeting information about who he was dining with (the Trumps, Fox News’s Sean Hannity and ex-Fox executive Bill Shine). That he made the call in the first place shows the degree to which the bulls in the White House cannot stand the reality of not being able to control the media. That he went on to make such extraordinary, profane remarks provides an insight into Scaramucci’s own character; but also into the febrile atmosphere which reigns at the White House. After all, when the man at the helm regularly aims volleys of abuse at all and sundry, why should his first mates not follow suit.

Having slated his colleagues/rivals, Scaramucci dispatched a tweet (natch) indicating that he would pull back from using “colourful language” in the future. But a couple of hours later he was turning his sights on Lizza, tweeting that “I made a mistake in trusting a reporter. It won’t happen again”. The seamless fit with the President’s anti-media narrative will no doubt play well with core supporters.

Indeed, even some who are hardly fans of the President questioned whether Scaramucci’s fruity remarks ought to have been published if he hadn’t known he was talking “on the record”. Frankly, that is absurd. Scaramucci is the White House director of communications, not a media naïf. If he had wanted to talk without fear of being quoted, it was up to him to make clear that was speaking not for publication. It’s not up to a reporter to ask the question in such circumstances.

Scaramucci: Trump sinks 3-foot putts. Official transcript: Trump sinks 30-foot putts

More obviously, Scaramucci could have avoided this latest rumpus by simply not attacking other members of the inner sanctum to a journalist. That he did not restrain himself must at least beg the question of whether he intended his remarks to be reported – and, by extension, whether he had the President’s approval when he made them? With Trump himself seemingly at odds with half of his own appointees – including Priebus – it is almost impossible to know quite what games are being played, or even who is on which side.

Scandal and disorder have never been far from the White House since Trump’s arrival. Appointees come and appointees go; allegations about the administration’s supposed links with Russia rumble on; the rift between the President and the media grows ever wider. To make matters worse, Trump makes little headway on matters of policy. The humiliating failure by Republicans in the senate to repeal Obamacare is the latest blow.

If Scaramucci, part used-car salesman and part playground bully, was brought in to bring order to the chaos (a big if), he has signally failed. Instead, he has brought with him more of the thunderbolts and lightning that already crash around the White House. As an exemplar of professional, political communications it is very, very frightening.

An official with the Boy Scouts of America apologized to the Scouting community on Thursday for the political content of President Donald Trump - CNN News

(CNN)An official with the Boy Scouts of America apologized to the Scouting community on Thursday for the political content of President Donald Trump's speech at the National Scout Jamboree.

"I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree," said Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh. "That was never our intent."

Speaking Monday before about 40,000 Scouts, Trump delivered a speech that would not have been out of place on his campaign or in his tweets.

He slammed the "fake news" media, promoted the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, boasted about his election night victory and called out the Washington "cesspool."

"Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts," he said, continuing to speak about politics.

Trump also riffed on the Boy Scouts loyalty pledge to criticize those in Washington.

"We could really use some more loyalty, I will tell you that," Trump said.

The speech represented a marked change from prior presidential speeches to the Boy Scouts, which generally discussed values and service rather than partisan issues. A number of former Scouts criticized the nakedly partisan speech, and CNN contributor and retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said the President "did not provide the proper example" to the crowd of young men.

In his letter, Surbaugh said Trump's speech had overshadowed the rest of the jamboree and its focus on Scouting.

"These character-building experiences have not diminished in recent days at the jamboree -- Scouts have continued to trade patches, climb rock walls, and share stories about the day's adventures," he said. "But for our Scouting family at home not able to see these real moments of Scouting, we know the past few days have been overshadowed by the remarks offered by the President of the United States."

Surbaugh said the invitation to the sitting President to visit the Jamboree is a "longstanding tradition" dating to 1937.

"It is in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies," Surbaugh said. "For years, people have called upon us to take a position on political issues, and we have steadfastly remained nonpartisan and refused to comment on political matters. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program.

"While we live in a challenging time in a country divided along political lines, the focus of Scouting remains the same today as every day," he said.

At the press briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she had not seen the letter yet. She said from her firsthand view the Jamboree was "one of the most energetic crowds" she has seen for Trump.

"I was at that event and I saw nothing but roughly 40-45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the President on throughout his remarks," she said. "I think they were pretty excited that he was there and happy to hear him speak to them."

CNN's Allie Malloy contributed to this report.

White House at war with itself - NBC News

Scaramucci vs. Priebus: A White House at war with itself

Last Updated Jul 27, 2017 6:54 PM EDT

If it wasn't already apparent a war is brewing between new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci and chief of staff Reince Priebus, Scaramucci has now made that clear. 

Scaramucci -- who has threatened to fire his entire communications staff in reaction to White House leaks -- all but accused Priebus of being a leaker in a tweet he posted then deleted late Wednesday night, after Politico reported Scaramucci's financial disclosure information. 

"In light of the leak of my financial info which is a felony. I will be contacting @FBI and the @TheJusticeDept #swamp @Reince45," the now-deleted tweet read. 

Scaramucci didn't end the tough talk there. On CNN's "New Day" Thursday, he again targeted Priebus in relation to leaks. 

"When I put out a tweet and I put Reince's name in a tweet, they're all making the assumption that it's him because journalists know who the leakers are," Scaramucci said on CNN Thursday. "So if Reince wants to explain he's not a leaker, let him do that. But let me tell you about myself. I'm a straight shooter and I'll go right to the heart of the matter."

• Anthony Scaramucci rips Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon in interview

Hours later, incoming press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders coaxed the concept of the rivalry between the two in the press briefing room.

"I think the president as always enjoys healthy competition and conversation and he sees that as such," Sanders said.

Scaramucci exploded onto the White House scene last week, making it clear in his first press briefing he would not only be taking over the communications reins from outgoing press secretary and Priebus ally Sean Spicer, but that he would also have the access and powers normally designated to the chief of staff. He said he reports directly to the president, instead of to Priebus, and wields the authority to fire people.

At the same time, Priebus' presence has seemed to diminish in the White House. But the distance between the two represents more than just "healthy competition," as Sanders coined it. 

Priebus, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, represents the establishment Republican wing brought on in efforts to provide Washington know-how to a president with no experience holding public office. Other RNC allies brought aboard included Spicer and Kate Walsh, former deputy White House chief of staff. They're now gone.

Scaramucci has indicated his allegiance is to the president alone, and he's willing to go to bat for him. Like Mr. Trump, he's a New Yorker. Like Mr. Trump, his past political views don't reflect typical Republican party positions, but Scaramucci said his ideas have since "evolved."