In true Mooch fashion, Anthony Scaramucci has some colorful nicknames for his former White House colleagues


Anthony Scaramucci will not go gentle into that good night.
It has been more than six months since his 11-day tenure as President Trump's communications director ended, but in a new interview/burn book recitation with Vanity Fair's William D. Cohan, he's as fired up as ever when it comes to "the two jamokes" he clashed with the most in D.C.: Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon.
The Mooch dubbed Priebus "Rancid Penis," and says he's one of those guys who acts like "Richie Cunningham" and "Opie from The Andy Griffith Show, but they're the f—ing Sith Lord behind your back. They're hitting you with a lightsaber behind your back." He claims that Priebus was "just very jealous" and "can't believe I'm this close to Trump." Scaramucci also said Priebus joined forces with Bannon to take him out (a person close to Bannon called this "laughable"), and suggested that while Bannon may have been "railing against the swamp," he's "actually a cock of the swamp. He's the creature from the Black Lagoon."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The interview contains Scaramucci's versions of his firing by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, his first press conference, the meeting where former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer found out Scaramucci had been hired, and his infamous, expletive-filled conversation with former New Yorker writer Ryan Lizza. While The Mooch may have nothing but bad things to say about Priebus and Bannon, he's still got a lot of love for Trump and doesn't regret his tumultuous time in the White House, calling it an "unbelievably phenomenal experience." Read the entire interview at Vanity Fair.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'Congress could help by providing federal protections'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Dozens dead in Kashmir as terrorists target tourists
Speed Read Visitors were taking pictures and riding ponies in a popular mountain town when assailants open fired, killing at least 26
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US