Job security is a problem wherever you may be employed. Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary was replaced by Anthony Scaramucci, the new communications director.
Spicer filed his resignation after the announcement of the new presidential appointee. Spicer’s tumultuous tenure lasted for only six months.
Anthony Scaramucci announced during his first press briefing that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the principal deputy press secretary, has been elevated to the press secretary position.
According to several sources, Anthony Scaramucci’s appointment was strongly opposed by Spicer. President Donald Trump, according to top advisers of the GOP and an official from the White House, requested Spicer not to resign and remain as the press secretary.
Not a Single Easy Day at The Job
Sean Spicer resigned Friday after Anthony Scaramucci accepted the appointment on Friday morning. In the six months that he had been on the job as press secretary, he did not have a single easy day.
He was continuously undermined in his role, fighting the media and the president as well. He was always at odds with Trump and the press.
He made serious gaffes admittedly, and his daily TV briefings were much awaited by the public. He actually became a household name and he’s been mercilessly spoofed.
On his first day at the job, he was tasked to accuse the media for being dishonest in their coverage of Trump’s inauguration. He had to follow the president’s dictate to label the media as wrong and shameful in reporting the facts.
He was always out of step with Trump, who reportedly did not favor the fashion sense of his press secretary. The president did not like his light colored suit jackets that he said were ill fitting.
It is a different matter to battle it out with the press corps and your own boss. Spicer and his team carefully planned Trump’s theme weeks, deliberately scripting announcements on current issues.
However, most of these were contradicted by the early morning tweets of Trump. It was a difficult task for the press secretary. He was thrust forward to defend the very controversial president who is only interested in following his own communications strategy.
He also felt snubbed when he was not included in the list of people to meet the Pope. Spicer, who was a devout Catholic, was looking forward to that day.
In an interview, Spicer said that he resigned to give a clean slate to the President and his new team.
A Discordant West Wing
The latest resignation puts the spotlight on the existing discord within the president’s office. The top aides of Trump are divided over the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci, which started to firm up Thursday night. The news about the hiring started to leak.
However, Steve Bannon, the chief strategist, Reince Priebus, the chief of staff and even Spicer himself were all kept in the dark. They were unaware that Mr. Trump already had every intention to get Anthony Scaramucci as the communications head, mostly due to the urging of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Reince Priebus, who also has a strained relationship with Scaramucci and Bannon, opposed the hiring.
The President Wanted Anthony Scaramucci
It seems that Trump wanted Anthony Scaramucci in the West Wing for some time. The President saw the opportunity, as the communications director post was vacant.
A source familiar to the decision of the President said that Spicer was worried that he’ll be doing the job of communications director and press secretary. Anthony Scaramucci is unfamiliar with government and communications since he’s into finance. He was a former fundraiser of Trump during his presidential campaign.
Although Scaramucci claims that there is no tension between him and the President’s top aides, he revealed that he would be reporting directly to Trump. A source revealed that the President wanted Scaramucci to be the face on TV instead of Spicer, and he wanted Spicer to stay on to handle the broader tasks of a communications director.
Sean Spicer will stay on until August 2017.
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