'Mooch' Will Likely Be Trump's New Communications Director

Full name: Anthony Scaramucci, Wall Street financier and Trump supporter
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 21, 2017 9:46 AM CDT
'Mooch' Will Likely Be Trump's New Communications Director
In this Jan. 13, 2017, file photo, Anthony Scaramucci, a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, talks to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

It's been nearly two months since Mike Dubke left the Trump administration, and his communications director role has remained empty since. That's apparently about to change. Four sources said to be "in and close to the White House" confirm to NBC News an earlier report by Axios that Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci—"Mooch" to those close to him—is set to be named as Dubke's replacement. The announcement could come Friday. A source tells NBC Scaramucci was at the White House Thursday, where he met with Trump and Ivanka Trump and was offered the job. That source adds Trump has long known Scaramucci, 53, who stumped for Trump during the campaign and has been "a good advocate for the president." He also defended Donald Trump Jr. on Twitter regarding the latter's June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Still, NBC notes Scaramucci wasn't initially Team Trump: He first lent his support to Scott Walker, then Jeb Bush in the primaries portion of the presidential campaign. Scaramucci was appointed by Trump last month to a position with the Export-Import Bank, a position he'll vacate if the comm director one becomes official. One White House insider who was apparently thrown by the news of Scaramucci's impending appointment: chief of staff Reince Priebus, who Axios says found out about his potential new colleague only after the decision had been made. Meanwhile, press secretary Sean Spicer, who's been taking care of Dubke's responsibilities since he left, is expected to remain on staff, but it's "unclear" exactly what he'll be doing, Axios notes. (More President Trump stories.)

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