July 23, 2017
LITTLE FINGER'S PLAYHOUSE:
Inside the 24 hours that broke Sean Spicer : Trump's beleaguered press secretary had been in better spirits recently. Then Scaramucci had an Oval Office meeting. (JOSH DAWSEY 07/21/2017, Politico)
After he found out about Scaramucci's appointment, Bannon had a very "aggressive" confrontation with Trump that some in the West Wing viewed as remarkable, people with direct knowledge of the encounter said. Another person familiar with the encounter said Bannon's behavior was "embarrassing.""There were a lot of people in the White House that didn't want this," one senior White House official said. "It happened because the family wanted it and because Trump wanted it."Spicer agonized Thursday night and thought Scaramucci might still be kept out. Putting Scaramucci over Spicer would diminish his standing in the West Wing and prove another humiliation.He went into the White House on Friday morning, saying he needed to see the president -- who was also talking to Scaramucci. Spicer was weighing his options and wanted to see what job Scaramucci would get before deciding whether to resign. After Scaramucci's position as communications director was announced in a larger senior staff meeting, Spicer returned to the Oval Office separately, told the president he disagreed with the pick and quickly resigned, people briefed on the encounter said.
Trump was taken aback and told Spicer to stay on board. Scaramucci and Spicer could work together, Trump said. "It would all work out, we'll all be on the same team," said a person who was told of Trump's comments. But Scaramucci was going to be in charge and report directly to the president.Spicer saw it as a personal affront to work for Scaramucci and told the president that it couldn't work. Spicer had expected to evolve into more of a full-time communications director role because he was essentially no longer the public-facing press secretary, having turned over the podium.Spicer returned angrily to the press office, but put on a happy face for a brief resignation meeting, convened by Priebus. He even gave Scaramucci a half-hug.Spicer had suffered other indignities: He was left out of a papal visit, and criticized by his boss for being played by a woman on TV and for his suits, and he was mocked for huddling with his team near some bushes as reporters demanded answers about FBI Director James Comey's firing. But even some of Spicer's sharpest critics said he would land on his feet because he had good instincts as a strategist and was well connected in Washington, after serving years as a top official at the Republican National Committee.Aides sympathetic to Spicer said he had an impossible job. It was difficult to respond to Trump's misstatements without contradicting him. No communications plan could stay on track because of the president's Twitter finger. And the warring factions of the White House made it impossible to ever know exactly what was going on.
Posted by Orrin Judd at July 23, 2017 8:23 AM