White House purge begins: Press aide resigns after Scaramucci leaks plan to fire him

A White House press aide abruptly resigned Tuesday after President Donald Trump's new communications director revealed he planned to fire him over leaks.

Michael Short announced his resignation hours after White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told Politico that he planned to fire the press aide, an ally of chief of staff Reince Priebus, reported The Hill.

Scaramucci, whose hiring last week reportedly drove out White House press secretary Sean Spicer, said the firing would be the first of many over leaks -- and he then attacked reporters who asked him about the report.

"This is the problem with the leaking," Scaramucci said. "This is actually a terrible thing. Let’s say I’m firing Michael Short today. The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic."

Short at first said he knew nothing about the firing, but he confirmed his resignation hours later in a text message to The Hill.

"I have resigned, effective immediately," Short said. "It was a privilege to serve the President of the United States."

Scaramucci has threatened to "fire everybody" over the profusion of leaks coming out of the White House, and he appears to be targeting loyalists to Spicer, who has already left, and Priebus, whose job has reportedly been in jeopardy since he accepted the position.

“It sure looks like by getting rid of Short today, he’s starting to pick off Reince’s guys,” one GOP operative told The Hill.