Jul 31, 2017

Scaramucci out as White House communications director

AP

Anthony Scaramucci has been removed as White House communications director after 10 days on the job — less than a week after an expletive-laden on-the-record rant to The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza — per The New York Times. Axios has since confirmed the news.

  • Scaramucci's departure came at the request of new chief of staff John Kelly, who is making his presence known in his first day on the job. Kelly broke the news to Scaramucci almost immediately after being sworn in. The NYT notes it's not clear whether he will stay on in the White House.
  • A source familiar tells Axios: "Kelly wanting to turn the page. New culture. Mooch no discipline. Thought he'd burned his credibility."
  • White House statement: "Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best."
  • Jared and Ivanka were instrumental in bringing in Scaramucci, primarily to take out Reince Priebus. That was his chief (some might say only) duty.

Go deeper

Axios
1 hour ago - Podcasts

Facebook boycott organizers share details on their Zuckerberg meeting

Facebook is in the midst of the largest ad boycott in its history, with nearly 1,000 brands having stopped paid advertising in July because they feel Facebook hasn't done enough to remove hate speech from its namesake app and Instagram.

Axios Re:Cap spoke with the boycott's four main organizers, who met on Tuesday with CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other top Facebook executives, to learn why they organized the boycott, what they took from the meeting, and what comes next.

Sara Fischer
2 hours ago - Technology

Boycott organizers slam Facebook following tense virtual meeting

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Civil rights leaders blasted Facebook's top executives shortly after speaking with them on Tuesday, saying that the tech giant's leaders "failed to meet the moment" and were "more interested in having a dialogue than producing outcomes."

Why it matters: The likely fallout from the meeting is that the growing boycott of Facebook's advertising platform, which has reached nearly 1000 companies in less than a month, will extend longer than previously anticipated, deepening Facebook's public relations nightmare.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Hans Nichols
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Steve Scalise PAC invites donors to fundraiser at Disney World

Photo: Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty Images

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s PAC is inviting lobbyists to attend a four-day “Summer Meeting” at Disney World's Polynesian Village in Florida, all but daring donors to swallow their concern about coronavirus and contribute $10,000 to his leadership PAC.

Why it matters: Scalise appears to be the first House lawmakers to host an in-person destination fundraiser since the severity of pandemic became clear. The invite for the “Summer Meeting” for the Scalise Leadership Fund, obtained by Axios, makes no mention of COVID-19.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow