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The Mooch Admits On 'Colbert' That He’d Gladly Fire Steve Bannon If He Could

'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'

On Monday evening, the short-lived former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci appeared on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show, telling the late night host that he would have gladly fired Steve Bannon. Scaramucci's words come at a tumultuous time for Bannon, as rumors swirl that President Trump is reportedly not satisfied with his performance and is allegedly considering removing him from his position as White House chief strategist.

Scaramucci's comments about Bannon came as Colbert was questioning the Mooch about his time in the White House. The men were discussing the fact that Scaramucci thought that Trump's former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, had leaked information from the White House, something which Scaramucci once again noted that he believed to be true.

Colbert then asked Scaramucci who he believed the "leaker" in the White House is now that Priebus has left his position, and specifically inquired about Bannon. The Mooch noted that he's previously said that he believes Bannon is a leaker (and, indeed, he was caught on tape stating this belief).

Colbert then inquired about Bannon's future status in the White House, pointedly asking Scaramucci if Bannon would be "gone in a week," to which the Mooch replied,

That's up to the president ... If it was up to me, he would be gone ... but it's not up to me.

According to Axios, which published a piece on Trump's alleged frustrations with Bannon on Aug. 12, Bannon has declined to comment on allegations that he is leaking White House material or on reports that his job is in jeopardy. Axios' article also alleged that, like Scaramucci, Trump reportedly believes that Bannon might be behind "damaging" leaks about his colleagues in the White House. The article also noted that Trump is allegedly fed up with what he perceives as "self-promotion" on Bannon's part.

In addition to sharing his thoughts on Bannon's future in the White House with Colbert, Scaramucci also briefly discussed his own short-lived tenure (the former communications directly lasted exactly eleven days before he was sacked from his position). Regarding his very brief White House stint, Scaramucci noted, "I didn’t think I’d last too long, but I thought I’d last longer than a carton of milk." However, the Mooch also asserted that he would do “absolutely nothing” differently if he had the opportunity to revive his role as communications director once again.

It was certainly intriguing to watch the Mooch reappear on television and to hear his take on Bannon's prospects as as listen to his reflections on his own White House experience. Perhaps we will see more of the Mooch on television as events continue to unfold in the White House, as he does not seem inclined to shy away from the public eye.