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.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 28, 2025
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - political parties, COP30, and more
By The Week US
-
Virginia Giuffre: Prince Andrew accuser who stood up to 'power, money and privilege'
In The Spotlight Woman at the centre of Jeffrey Epstein scandal and advocate for sex trafficking victims, has died aged 41
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Best marmalades in the world
The Week Recommends From World Marmalade Awards-winning yuzu and pear to thick-cut Seville standouts
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK
-
Judge blocks key part of Trump's elections overhaul
Speed Read Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's decision temporarily bars federal officials from requiring Americans to prove they are citizens to register to vote
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth's chief of staff joins Pentagon exodus
Speed Read Joe Kasper has stepped down, leaving the Defense Secretary 'increasingly isolated'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
A dozen states sue Trump to halt tariffs
Speed Read The states sued in the US Court of International Trade, seeking to stop tariffs they say will damage their economies
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump blames Zelenskyy for peace deal setbacks
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the US proposal, which includes Russia's takeover of Crimea
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