Anthony Scaramucci knows what it’s like to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day working for Donald Trump. As the president’s communications director in 2017, Scaramucci ended his first and only White House briefing by blowing a kiss to the press as he left the podium. Ten days later, he was fired.
That’s why Scaramucci didn’t join the dogpile criticizing Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary whose debut on Tuesday lasted for only 14 minutes and included a nervous cadence as she stumbled over her words and read from a script. Trump said she did an excellent job, but speculation swirled that Zacharia’s days in her job are already numbered.
But are they? I asked Scaramucci how long he thinks Zacharia will last, what advice he would give her, and why he believes his record as the shortest-serving spokesperson in White House history is still safe. His responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity.