Anthony Scaramucci purges Twitter messages to avoid being ‘distraction'

WASHINGTON - Anthony Scaramucci has purged his Twitter account of previous criticisms of President Donald Trump, saying he didn't want to be a “distraction” for the White House in his new role as communications director.

Among the missives that disappeared into the digital ether on Saturday were a post referring to Trump's campaign as a “spectacle,” another in 2012 imploring Democrat Hillary Clinton to run for president, and a tweet calling Trump ally Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, an “odd guy.”

“Full transparency: I'm deleting old tweets,” Scaramucci posted to the social media network. “Past views evolved & shouldn't be a distraction. I serve @POTUS agenda & that's all that matters.”

Among the casualties: a post saying he found the number of people who still believe climate change is a hoax “disheartening,” as well as a tweet arguing “walls don't work” as immigration tools.

Scaramucci, 53, also deleted a tweet voicing support for “strong gun control laws” that had drawn the ire of a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, which offered the president a key endorsement during the campaign.

Conservative commentator Dana Loesch, in a post that itself has now been deleted, said she found it “concerning” that Scaramucci “has a contrary position” on Second Amendment rights from the president. “You're talking about someone responsible for presenting President's message to public,” she said in a second post that remains on the social media network.

While Scaramucci has removed many posts critical of the president or contrary to White House policies, others remain. That includes a tweet praising Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the probe into Russian meddling in the election - a move Trump said this week made him regret appointing Sessions to lead the Justice Department.

Scaramucci has also left up posts critical of the death penalty, which the president supports.

The new communications director was asked about his previous criticism of the president - and a particularly memorable moment when he called Trump a “hack politician” - during his first spin at the briefing room podium on Friday.

“I should have never said that about him,” Scaramucci said, adding that Trump brings it up to him “every 15 minutes.”

“Mr. President, if you're listening, I personally apologize for the 50th time for saying that,” he continued, chalking the transgression up to political inexperience.

Trump, for his part, seemed undisturbed by the previous criticism from the new leader of his communications team.

“In all fairness to Anthony Scaramucci, he wanted to endorse me 1st, before the Republican Primaries started, but didn't think I was running!” Trump wrote.

Scaramucci initially endorsed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush over Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries.

The New York financier and former host of Fox News' revival of “Wall Street Week” has logged more than 16,000 tweets since joining Twitter in March 2009 - the same month as Trump, whose tweet count now exceeds 35,000.