Washington: New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci hasn't always shared the political views of the administration he now serves.
In previous tweets, the Wall Street financier called Hillary Clinton "incredibly competent" and appeared to be at odds with his new boss on issues such as gun control, climate change, Islam and illegal immigration.
But on Saturday, the day after he became Trump's communications director, he announced on Twitter that he's deleting his old tweets, which he said are only a distraction.
And then nearly two hours later ...
Scaramucci's old tweets began resurfacing on Friday. Some have been deleted, but they've since been immortalised by other Twitter users.
In a pair of 2012 tweets, one of which has not yet been deleted, he said that the United States has too many guns and that he's "always been for strong gun control laws."
"We (the USA) has 5% of the world's population but 50% of the world's guns," he wrote in the deleted tweet. "Enough is enough. It is just common sense it apply more controls."
Laura Goldman, who said she is friends with Scaramucci, came to his defence on Saturday, saying his 2012 tweet advocating gun control was a response to her.
"He answered because that's the kind of guy he is … He shouldn't be crucified for his politeness in answering tweets to a friend before he starts his job," Goldman said.
Scaramucci also praised former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in 2011 for staying out of the "Trump spectacle" and called former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally, an "odd guy" who's "so smart with no judgment".
A few other tweets still appear to be on Scaramucci's profile.
In another 2012 post, he appeared to be advocating liberal causes, describing himself as "for Gay Marriage, against the death penalty, and Pro Choice".
That same year, he said: "I like Hillary. Have to go with the best athlete. We need to turn this around."
In a 2016 tweet that appears to contradict Trump's previous statements against Islam, he said: "It is a fight within Islam, overwhelming majority see Islam as a religion of peace, want to live in multiracial/ethnic/faith democracies."
He railed against climate-change deniers:
"You can take steps to combat climate change without crippling the economy. The fact many people still believe CC [climate change] is a hoax is disheartening," he tweeted in 2016.
And against Trump's plan for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border:
"Walls don't work. Never have never will. The Berlin Wall 1961-1989 don't fall for it," he tweeted in 2015.
He also appeared to favour another former Republican presidential candidate over Trump: "Big number for @JebBush people just need to get to know him. Will make a great President."
In a 2015 Fox Business Network interview, Scaramucci called Trump a "hack" and a bully and said he didn't like how the presidential candidate talked about women.
"He's a hack politician … I'll tell you who he's going to be president of - you can tell Donald I said this - the Queens County bullies association," he said.
Now Scaramucci has shifted from criticising Trump to telling reporters several times he loves the President. He also apologised for calling Trump a hack and said the President still reminds him of his previous comments.
"I should have never said that about him," he told reporters at his first press briefing Friday, adding later: "Mr President, if you're listening, I personally apologise for the 50th time for saying that."
Trump weighed in Saturday morning, saying Scaramucci wanted to endorse him but didn't know he was going to run.
But as the Post's Aaron Blake pointed out, Trump had been a candidate for a month when Scaramucci called him a hack.
Washington Post
