Published: July 28, 2017 1:25 a.m. ET
By
MARKETWATCH
Consider this your offensive-language warning
Anthony Scaramucci, at Trump Tower.
Ryan Lizza, the author of the piece, said Scaramucci did not ask for the comments to be on background or off the record.
“Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to resign very shortly,” he said of the chief of staff. “Reince is a fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac.”
That wasn’t even the most incendiary comment Scaramucci made to Lizza, whom he reportedly pressed to reveal a confidential source’s name. In contrasting himself with the White House’s chief strategist, he had this to say:
‘I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own cock.’
Scaramucci tried to downplay the remarks in a comment on Twitter.
I sometimes use colorful language. I will refrain in this arena but not give up the passionate fight for @realDonaldTrump's agenda. #MAGA
He then tweeted again, casting criticism at the reporter:
At a press conference earlier Thursday — before the publication of the article — press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was cagey on the issue of Scaramucci’s employment.
“He is working at the White House,” she said in response to a flurry of questions about Scaramucci’s status. The former fund-of-hedge-funds operator had previously said he could not take up the position until the sale of his firm was complete and did not present a potential conflict of interest.
