Scaramucci had plan to aid WH-media ties, memo shows
WASHINGTON -- Ousted White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci had high hopes for improved relationships with reporters, according to a memo posted online Wednesday.
The memo list five priorities for the communications staff, including "Improve the culture" and "Fill the content void."
Scaramucci has confirmed he wrote the memo. It was posted on Medium.com by right-wing media personality and Trump supporter Mike Cernovich.
Scaramucci provided a copy to CBS News.
In it, he writes, "This is the key—everything is possible with a good culture, nothing is possible without it."
One way to do that, he says, is to "meet with media members … where possible, on their home turf to build bridges and foster better working relationships. WH should leave old grudges behind, but never forget."
Scaramucci writes that President Trump "can choose to fight with the media, but Comms can not," and he even suggests "a constructive 'complaint box' for the media to make complaints."
Still, the memo points out, "Comms is a Customer Service Operation - POTUS is the Number One Customer." It says the office needs to "humanize" Trump and suggests "a national online lottery to play a round of golf with him ... or a charity auction."
Scaramucci also calls for "video content that constructively operates as 'The President Donald J. Trump' show."
Scaramucci envisions running the communications department "like a news channel with producers, scripts, and narration" that will be able to "dictate the news of the day on most days."
After his appointment was announced, Scaramucci was very vocal about leaks coming out of the White House - even telling a New Yorker reporter he wanted to "kill all the leakers."
His memo is a little more restrained. He writes: "No more threats about leaking and internal game playing - anyone who takes actions that do not serve the President will be dismissed - period. We will eliminate the bad eggs and send a powerful message to the remaining staff that well-intentioned mistakes are acceptable, but misconduct is not."
The memo is dated July 30, just a day before Scaramucci was ousted by new chief of staff John Kelly. Scaramucci was named to the position on July 21.
