Patrick Ryan USA TODAY Published 10:32 PM EST Jan 21, 2019 Another former White House staffer has moved into the “Big Brother” house, only with far less fireworks. Ex-communications director Anthony Scaramucci appeared in the season premiere of CBS’ “Celebrity Big Brother” on Monday, nearly a year after savvy President Donald Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman competed on the show and placed fifth. But unlike Newman, who continually made headlines for bad-mouthing her former boss, Scaramucci played it cool in his first night out. Asked by a fellow housemate why he was fired after just 11 days in the White House, Scaramucci spoke vaguely about a since-retracted CNN story published in June 2017 that alleged he met with a Russian investor prior to Trump’s inauguration. “The main thing was I was fighting with Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus,” Scaramucci said of his exit. “The ‘shootout at the OK Corral’ started because Priebus and Bannon did not want me in that job, and they started making up stories. But I got my ego involved and I’m a competitive guy, and so I trusted a reporter. I said something inappropriate to a reporter, and he ran to CNN with it. So when the new chief of staff (John Kelly) came in, he fired me.” Scaramucci continued by saying that “Bannon was not my cup of tea” and paraphrasing President Harry S. Truman, adding, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog.” The financier, nicknamed “The Mooch,” appeared to make allies on his first day in the “Big Brother” house, teaming… [Read full story]
Leave a Reply