New White House comms chief deletes tweets not in line with Trump's opinions

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Donald Trump's new communications chief Anthony Saramucci has deleted tweets in which he shared views contrary to the president's, saying they were a distraction.

Just a day after he started his new job on Friday, New York financier Scaramucci cleaned up his Twitter feed of remarks which saw his opinion differ from Trump's on issues such as illegal immigration, climate change, Islam and gun control.

"Full transparency: I'm deleting old tweets. Past views evolved & shouldn't be a distraction. I serve @POTUS agenda & that's all that matters," Saramucci tweeted.

Twitter Photo

Scaramucci followed up this announcement with, "The politics of 'gotcha' are over.

I have thick skin and we're moving on to @POTUS agenda serving the American people."

In a 2012 tweet he appeared to back many causes long championed by Democrats, describing himself as "for Gay Marriage, against the death penalty, and Pro Choice."

White House press secretary Sean Spicer abruptly resigned Friday in protest at Scaramucci's hiring.

Anthony Scaramucci answers reporter's questions during his first press briefing during his first day on the job in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, July 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

In a written statement, Trump said he was "grateful" for Spicer's work and praised his "great television ratings" – a reference to Spicer's eagerly watched, combative and often-satirized news briefings.

Spicer's departure marked rising tensions in an administration that has seen its legislative agenda falter at the same time it has been buffeted by an investigation into alleged collusion with Russia.

(Source: AFP)

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Spicer out, Scaramucci in at White House