Living and dying by the sword: Scaramucci ousted from White House

Nick Allen analysis

Anthony Scaramucci's spell as White House communications director was the shortest and perhaps the most tumultuous in history.

In an ultimate example of living by the sword and dying by it, Scaramucci rose to stratospheric prominence before being summarily dispatched by his boss, President Donald Trump, with utter ruthlessness after just 11 days.

White House insiders said Trump had lost confidence and been "concerned" after Scaramucci launched a foul-mouthed tirade to a journalist in which he lambasted other senior administration figures.

Trump was also said to have been annoyed by Scaramucci's seemingly unstoppable rise to celebrity, achieving an international media profile that in recent days had rivalled the President's own. One person close to the Administration said: "There is only one star in the White House".

Nicknamed "The Mooch" by friends and "Gucci Scaramucci" by former President George W. Bush, the multi-millionaire former hedge fund boss was plastered across US tabloids in recent days. Revelations included that he was in the midst of a divorce from his second wife who was reported to have filed divorce papers while pregnant with their child, who was born last week.

Scaramucci's road to the White House had been a long one after he was initially slated for a role in January. He was blackballed then by Reince Priebus, Trump's first chief of staff. But this month Priebus's star waned. His friend Sean Spicer was pushed out of being press secretary, and Scaramucci was brought in as communications director.

Recent revelations about Scaramucci's self-promotion included that he paid a reported US$100,000 for a small part in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. He was in two scenes totalling 15 seconds.