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Scaramucci challenges Priebus over leaks to the press Scaramucci in vulgar tirade against White House colleague Priebus
(about 7 hours later)
The newly-hired communications director for US President Donald Trump says he has a "very good idea" who the "senior leakers" are at the White House. The new communications director for US President Donald Trump has launched a strongly-worded attack on the White House chief of staff.
In a quickly-deleted tweet, and in interviews on Thursday, Anthony Scaramucci appeared to point the finger at Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Anthony Scaramucci was scathing about "paranoid schizophrenic" Reince Priebus, in a phone conversation with a reporter from The New Yorker magazine.
He was upset that the reporter, Ryan Lizza, had tweeted about who Mr Scaramucci was dining with.
The former Wall Street financier also attacked Trump aide Steve Bannon.
The conversation with Mr Lizza was littered with profanity-laced insults directed at Mr Priebus and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
Mr Scaramucci later tweeted his regret at the "colourful language". He did not deny the nature of the conversation as it was reported.
He has spent much of his first week in the White House railing against "leakers" and hinted in interviews that he thinks the chief of staff is one of them.
"If Reince wants to explain that he's not a leaker, let him do that," he told CNN in a phone interview."If Reince wants to explain that he's not a leaker, let him do that," he told CNN in a phone interview.
"He's gonna need to speak for his own actions", he added.
President Trump has said that leaks from the White House are a national security threat and must stop.President Trump has said that leaks from the White House are a national security threat and must stop.
The West Wing bloodletting goes on
By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington
Mr Scaramucci recently told the BBC he saw Donald Trump as a disruptive president, elected to tear the established order apart. What's more, the newly minted White House communications director appears more than happy to help foment the chaos.
In his obscenity-laced interview, he clearly draws battle lines between himself and his White House opponents - Mr Priebus and Mr Bannon, in particular. His comments are going to make it difficult for the Trump administration to operate in any semblance of a normal fashion in its current composition.
The problem, however, is that will be almost impossible to show Mr Scaramucci the door so early in his tenure - it would be tacit admission the president made a mistake in hiring him. The I-told-you-so's from the Priebus crowd would be deafening.
Mr Scaramucci could find some unrelated excuse to bow out - business concerns, perhaps - but that doesn't seem the pugnacious New Yorker's style.
The other option is for the West Wing bloodletting to continue. Given that Scaramucci dined with the president and Fox News firebrand Sean Hannity last night, before the latest round of "disruption" began, Mr Trump may be A-OK with this.
The tensions between two of his top aides appeared to be made public when Mr Scaramucci tweeted on Wednesday night that his government financial disclosure form had been leaked.The tensions between two of his top aides appeared to be made public when Mr Scaramucci tweeted on Wednesday night that his government financial disclosure form had been leaked.
The tweet, which he subsequently deleted, ended by tagging Mr Priebus' Twitter handle.The tweet, which he subsequently deleted, ended by tagging Mr Priebus' Twitter handle.
After journalists began reporting that the tweet was a threat, Mr Scaramucci posted: "Wrong! Mr Priebus, who formerly chaired the Republican National Committee, and former White House spokesman Sean Spicer, had reportedly opposed the hiring of Mr Scaramucci.
"Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks."
Feuding on live television
By Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington
This is not how any of this is supposed to work. The newly installed White House communications director seemingly accusing - on Twitter! On a morning news show! - the White House chief of staff of criminal leaking.
In a White House that has been characterised by feuds and shifting centres of power, these latest developments may represent an attempt by Anthony Scaramucci - and others - to push out veteran Republican Party hands and clear the decks for Mr Trump's more unvarnished band of outsiders.
Press Secretary Sean Spicer and one of his top assistants are already gone. Reince Priebus could be next.
There's no telling how Mr Trump is taking all this. On one hand, he seems to have a visceral connection to Scaramucci, a brash New Yorker not unlike himself. On the other, the president hasn't always reacted well when subordinates step into his limelight.
Where Abraham Lincoln had his famous "team of rivals" in his administration, this is something different. Trump White House seems more akin to the final scene in Reservoir Dogs, where everyone is yelling and pointing a gun at someone else, and there's a good chance no one is going to come out unscathed.
Mr Preibus, who formerly chaired the Republican National Committee, and former White House spokesman Sean Spicer, had reportedly opposed the hiring of Mr Scaramucci.
Mr Spicer announced his resignation on the same day that Mr Scaramucci was hired.Mr Spicer announced his resignation on the same day that Mr Scaramucci was hired.
"I don't know if [my relationship with Mr Preibus] is repairable or not," said Mr Scaramucci on Thursday. "That will be up to the president." "I don't know if [my relationship with Mr Priebus] is repairable or not," said Mr Scaramucci on Thursday. "That will be up to the president."
On his first day in the job last week, he told reporters that he and the chief of staff were personal friends who like "rough each other up" once in a while. "But he's a dear friend," he added.On his first day in the job last week, he told reporters that he and the chief of staff were personal friends who like "rough each other up" once in a while. "But he's a dear friend," he added.
Sarah Sanders, the press secretary who reports to Mr Scaramucci, described the nature of the two aides' relationship as "healthy competition".
Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, who is the highest-ranking Republican member of Congress, told reporters on Thursday: "If those two men have differences, my advice would be to sit down and settle those differences."Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, who is the highest-ranking Republican member of Congress, told reporters on Thursday: "If those two men have differences, my advice would be to sit down and settle those differences."