Scaramucci out after just days on job

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump removed Anthony Scaramucci from his role as White House communications director Monday just days after the New York financier was named to the job - an ouster made at the request of new White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

Scaramucci's brief tenure was marked by turmoil as he feuded publicly with former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. Scaramucci's arrival prompted former press secretary Sean Spicer to resign in protest.

The abrupt decision signals Kelly is moving quickly to assert control over the West Wing, characterized by disputes and power struggles during Trump's six-month tenure.

The retired Marine general, who was sworn in Monday morning, was brought into the White House in the hope that he will bring military-style disciple to Trump's staff. He has been fully empowered by the president to make significant changes to the organization, White House officials and advisers said.

The White House confirmed Scaramucci's departure in a statement.

'Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director,” said a statement attributed to the White House Press Secretary, though it was unclear whether it was from Spicer or the incoming press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. '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.”

Scaramucci was hired to the communications director role by Trump, over the objections of Priebus and other aides. Within days of arriving, Scaramucci publicly accused Priebus of leaking damaging information about him in the media and disparaged him in a profanity-laced interview with the New Yorker.

After that interview was published, Bob Vander Plaats, head of the influential Iowa Family Leader who supported Trump in the general election, called on the president to act against Scaramucci.

'Mr. President, it is time to look in the mirror, accept responsibility, apologize to the American people, and declare an end to this behavior immediately,” he wrote in an open letter.

'I suggest you lead by first washing out Mr. Scaramucci's mouth with a bar of soap. After a thorough rinsing, strip his credentials and escort him personally off the White House grounds.”

Priebus, who long ago lost the confidence of the president, was replaced by Kelly days later.

People in the White House who supported Scaramucci's hiring had viewed his presence, in part, as a tool to hasten the departure of Priebus. But his usefulness declined significantly in their eyes once that goal was accomplished.

Over the weekend, Kelly told associates he was dismayed by Scaramucci's interview and found it abhorrent and embarrassing for Trump.

The abrupt removal of Scaramucci, who had backed Trump during the campaign, punctuated a day that began with a Trump tweet declaring that despite the upheaval of the past two weeks, there was 'no WH chaos!” under him.

No other post in the White House has experienced as much upheaval as the communications director job. It was first given to Jason Miller, a Trump campaign aide who stepped down from the post during the transition before even being sworn in. It was then given to Republican operative Michael Dubke, who resigned in May. In the intervening weeks, Spicer had taken on those responsibilities in addition to his role as press secretary.

But even outside the communications office, turnover is high and includes among others:

l Philip Bilden, a private equity executive picked by Trump for secretary of the Navy, withdrew because of conflict-of-interest rules.

l James Comey, the FBI director who had been leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome, was fired by Trump;

l Michael Flynn resigned as Trump's national security adviser after disclosures he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

l Mark Green, Trump's nominee for Army secretary, withdrew from consideration.

l Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and Trump's choice for deputy secretary of commerce, withdrew.

l Walter Shaub, head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics who clashed with the Trump administration, stepped down before his five-year term was to end.

l Vincent Viola, an Army veteran picked by Trump to be secretary of the Army, withdrew.

The Washington Post and Reuters contributed to this report.