Scaramucci promises more ‘dramatic steps’ on ousting White House leakers

Anthony Scaramucci on Wednesday doubled down on his war on White House leaks, warning he will root out the senior White House staff who are asking “junior people to leak for them.” 

“I know I’m in a cesspool called Washington, or a swamp called Washington, so it will be virtually impossible to get rid of every leak, but I think we can take dramatic steps,” the newly appointed White House communications director told Fox News host Sean Hannity. 

Those dramatic steps could include more firings among the staff, he said. He noted the resignation of White House press aide Michael Short on Tuesday.

“I think you have to give people a chance, Sean, give them some level of amnesty to see if they’ll stop and work together,” Scaramucci said. “But I will move very quickly if they cannot do that, because I have the president’s authority to do so.”

{mosads}Scaramucci, who was appointed to his new position last week on the same day White House press secretary Sean Spicer resigned, immediately pledged that he would stop the leaks as part of his new reign over White House communications. 

The incoming director said he will meet with the White House communications team next week to discuss what the Trump administration sees as an ongoing problem of unauthorized information leaks to media from the White House communications department. 

“Now you and I both know there are political holdovers from the Obama administration that want to put a hurt on the Trump administration,” Scaramucci said.

He raised the specter of a “civil war” among the White House staff, saying he would put a swift end to it if it exists.