Why Scaramucci’s “Smoothness” Matters

Critics are calling it a distraction, but they’re forgetting the White House is fighting an image war

Izzy Rodriguez
Jul 22, 2017 · 5 min read

The first public outing of incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci was, by Trump White House standards, a rousing success. Amidst a chaotic day highlighted by the resignation of Sean Spicer, Scaramucci’s impromptu presser in front of the White House Press Corps saw an all-out charm offensive by the newcomer. Scaramucci was eager to answer as many questions as possible, didn’t come off as combative or angry, and at moments was charming with the press, all ending with him blowing a kiss to the room as he left.

The press via Twitter were quick to notice Scaramucci’s tone, particularly when compared to the notoriously difficult Spicer. Yet many on the left felt that merely pointing out his delivery wasn’t just a waste of time, but essentially bias in favor of the Trump Administration, ranging from casual armchair pundits to the U.S. Senator of Hawaii.

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The replies to Senator Brian Schatz’s tweets have people ridiculously suggesting that a reporter for The New York Times was siding with the Trump Administration and could probably be getting money from them for this coverage. And critics consistently bring up that Scaramucci defended Trump’s claim that millions illegally voted in that very same press conference.

Those critics are right to bring up the lie perpetuated by Scaramucci, because it’s necessary to bring up how the White House is still not credible on telling the truth. And sure, calling him by his nickname ‘Mooch’ may be unprofessional (Although I don’t want to hear it from the same people who thought ‘Spicey’ was hilarious on SNL). But Scaramucci isn’t going to be the White House’s solution to its press problem. If anything, he never was going to be. Scaramucci is meant to be a solution to the White House’s messaging problem, and in that regard, Scaramucci’s positive debut should worry Democrats when it comes to the public, not the press.

Spicer’s firing, as short-noticed as it was, wasn’t that unexpected. We kept hearing report after report of Trump being upset with his press office failing him, unable to deal with a media that was reacting to the chaos he sets off on his Twitter feed. Trump wanted a shakeup in his press office, and Scaramucci was a part of that. A longtime family friend, Scaramucci has an established trust with Trump and his ideas that wasn’t present in the often-tense relationship he had with Spicer, an RNC holdover. Spicer was never a major part of Trump’s inner circle, so he was left unclear as to how the President wanted his press operations to be run. He was disconnected from the president’s thoughts, and thus couldn’t respond deal with the press in a way that satisfied Trump. This was emphasized in the tense relationship Spicer had with the Press, where he would often yell and badger reporters trying to get a clearer answer when he just didn’t have one.

Scaramucci didn’t have all the answers either. In his press conference, he claimed he was unable to answer questions multiple times. What was key was that he didn’t lose his cool in a way like Spicer has in the past. It was by no means a ‘Great Communicator’ performance, but for the Trump White House, expectations were so low that it was more than enough. The comparisons between Scaramucci and Spicer were inevitable, considering that one of them resigned because of the other. And when you compare the two, Scaramucci appears to be a level-headed guy, emphasis on the word ‘appears’.

Scaramucci’s retelling of the voter fraud lie suggests that nothing is going to change for the White House Press Offices in terms of output, but that’s only half of the story. Appearances absolutely matter, especially in the Trump White House. Much of President Trump’s fight against the media on the Russia issue is based on the idea that the image of corruption is stopping him from getting anything done. Trump is focused on getting a better image presented that reaches the American people. And sure, a Democratic strategist or a Senator can act like the facts are what 100% matter and that they can see past Scaramucci’s smooth talk. But that isn’t the media landscape the general public lives in. The Trump White House’s communications strategy has at least two basic planks. First, take advantage of ‘fake news’ so that they can present an alternative to the press. This gives them the license to spread lies such as the voter fraud issue that supporters can claim the press lies about. But the second is presentation. The Trump Administration may be well known for its gaffes, but Trump is incredibly concerned with a well-maintained image. If the message is sent out properly, then more people will support him, so it is in his best interest to have a telegenic press team.

This is why Scaramucci’s hiring, amidst all the lies and questions about his qualifications, should worry Democrats. Simply calling out lies just does not work anymore. The White House is not fighting facts or policy battles, they are fighting image battles that headline the evening news. Voters have made it clear that they will vote for someone who ‘tells it like it is’, even if it’s a lie, over someone who has a poor image that doesn’t resonate with voters. It was a major reason we got Trump in the first place, because Hillary Clinton’s message did not come across well. When the press points out that Scaramucci on camera is an improvement over Spicer, it’s not bias towards the Trump Administration, it’s acknowledging that in a fight over who has the better image, Trump just hired someone who could improve his. Will he? Who knows, but to act as though tone and candor don’t matter in the slightest isn’t just wrong, it’s willfully ignoring the mere basics of why Democrats lost to him to begin with.

Scaramucci could improve Trump’s press woes, or be out of office by next year. But his debut wasn’t a failure, and for the White House, that’s a success in the fight that Democrats are forgetting they are in.


Izzy Rodriguez is a writer and student at Rice University. You can follow Izzy for more commentary on politics and pop culture on Twitter @IzzyRxdriguez.

Izzy Rodriguez

Written by

Student, Political Writer, Cultural Critic and Music Reviewer. Rice ‘18

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