President Trump’s decision to install Anthony Scaramucci as his communications director late last week sent shock waves through the West Wing and could precipitate the departure of several additional White House staffers.
Several press aides, including Republican National Committee alumnus Michael Short, are expected to leave in the coming weeks, whether by their own choice or by Scaramucci’s, two sources familiar with the situation told the Washington Examiner. Several former RNC staffers, all of whom are loyal to outgoing press secretary Sean Spicer and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, presently make up the press team.
Spicer stepped down Friday in protest of Scaramucci’s arrival, a move that elevated deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders to the top public-facing position in the press shop.
The hiring of Scaramucci could create another power center in a West Wing already filled with competing factions.
Although the incoming communications director doesn’t officially start his position until mid-August, Scaramucci joined the president Monday on his trip to West Virginia, a sign of his increasing clout with the commander-in-chief.
Speculation about the prospects for Priebus has reached new heights in the wake of Scaramucci’s hiring. Priebus opposed the decision to bring Scaramucci on board and will have little control over the incoming communications director, as both Scaramucci and the president specified that the new press chief will report directly to the Oval Office.
One source close to the White House pointed to the way Trump handled a high-profile shake-up on his presidential campaign as an example of what he is likely trying to accomplish by bringing in Scaramucci.
In March 2016, Trump hired Paul Manafort to take over his campaign’s delegate-whip effort and promoted him to campaign chairman in May, effectively creating another layer of authority over campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who was ultimately ousted in June of last year.
“The minute the president layers you, it’s like, the writing is on the wall, leave,” the source said.
Scaramucci has already begun to flex his muscles this week with a series of interviews in which he spoke confidently for the president, including on the deteriorating relationship between Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Trump took Sessions to task on Twitter Tuesday morning, a day after calling his attorney general “beleaguered” and a week after venting his frustration with Sessions in an interview with the New York Times.
A source close to Sessions’ team told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that Sessions has no immediate plans to step down.
But the pressure on Sessions is mounting as the special counsel’s investigation expands beyond Russian meddling, since Trump blames Sessions’ recusal from the Russia inquiry in March for the existence of the special counsel probe.
