July 23 (UPI) — Anthony Scaramucci pledged Sunday “to take drastic” action to stop leaks coming out of the White House two days after he was named the new communications director by President Donald Trump.
Scaramucci said in an interview on Fox News Sunday he would “pare down the staff” if the leaks don’t stop.
“I think it’s not fair to the president, it’s actually not fair to America or the people in the government. I’m not going to be able to stop the leaks in the intergovernmental agencies and all that other stuff, that’s a different ball of wax. But something is going on in the White House that the president does not like and we’re going to fix it.
“Everyone can stay if they follow protocol against the leaks.”
During an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Scaramucci said he will work to stop the leaks by “culturally changing” the environment at the White House.
Scaramucci also wants to overcome negative stories on the president, and will use social media to help accomplish that.
“We’re going to focus and refine the messaging from the White House. He’s one of the most effective communicators that has ever been born, and so we’re going to make sure to get that message out directly to the American people,” he said on CBS.
The former Wall Street executive said on Fox News mainstream media still has a “level of objectivity,” but so-called “fake news” exists with “some individuals” who “stretch stories.” He said some unfair stories were even directed at himself.
Scaramucci, who hosted Wall Street Week on Fox Business, expects both sides — the media and the communications staff — to hold each other accountable, but everyone is getting a fresh start now.
One of the ongoing stories for Scaramucci to deal with is the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election, and subsequent investigations by Congress and a special independent counselor.
“He basically said to me, ‘Hey, you know, this is, maybe they did it, maybe they didn’t do it,'” Scaramucci said on CNN’s State of the Union of a recent conversation he’d had with the president about alleged Russian interference.
Scaramucci questioned the media’s pursuit of the story.
“The mainstream media position on this, that they interfered in the election,” Scaramucci said. “It actually in his mind, what are you guys suggesting? You’re going to delegitimize his victory?”
Scaramucci replaces Mike Dubke, who resigned in May. White House press secretary Sean Spicer later resigned because he strongly disagreed with Scaramucci’s appointment. Spicer’s deputy, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was promoted by Scaramucci and has since taken over for Spicer.
