New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is the man behind the latest West Wing shake-up, prompting the abrupt Friday resignation of press secretary Sean Spicer.
The financier and entrepreneur had emerged as a fierce Trump loyalist and the president liked the way Scaramucci defended him on television, a top asset for White House communicators. Scaramucci’s new position has been open since his predecessor Mike Dubke resigned in May.
Scaramucci was popular with Trump family members Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the son-in-law and daughter, respectively, who serve as unpaid senior advisers to the president. But the move was opposed by other factions inside the White House, ultimately triggering Spicer’s resignation.
Principal deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has frequently taken Spicer’s place in the White House briefing in recent weeks. Mark Corallo resigned as spokesman for Trump’s legal team on Thursday night.
Scaramucci is a big Republican donor who backed Trump in last year’s campaign after raising money for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries.
His previous role in the Trump administration was as chief strategy officer of the Export-Import Bank.
Initially, finding any White House job for Scaramucci was a challenge because of his business interests. His attempts to unwind from his businesses raised conflict-of-interest questions. Scaramucci recently sold his stake in his hedge fund, SkyBridge Capital.
Trump is looking for a more aggressive team to push back against the Russia investigation that has left a cloud over his administration.
