• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, August 11, 2017

Stephen Colbert’s claim of an “exclusive” interview with Anthony Scaramucci lasted just shy of 12 hours -- right up until the moment George Stephanopoulos announced he would interview “The Mooch” a day earlier.

Oh, well -- that's Mooch biz!

Colbert had good reason to be excited. Here was this notorious recent newsmaker -- previously taunted without mercy by Colbert (and everyone else) -- choosing his show to break his silence after his unusual 10-day tenure as White House communications director. Scaramucci was fired on July 31 and has not been heard from since.

It's one of the rewards that comes with being the top-rated late-night show on television. A disgraced newsmaker intent on repairing his damaged image will more likely choose the top-rated show first.

As of this writing, Scaramucci does not seem to have booked himself on any other late-night shows between now and Monday -- which means Colbert does seem to have at least a late-night exclusive. The Mooch is scheduled to appear on Colbert’s “Late Show” on CBS on Monday (August 14).

Colbert tweeted the news Wednesday evening at around 6 or 6:30. He had already announced it during the taping of Wednesday night's “Late Show” (screen grab, above).

“On Monday 8/14 Anthony Scaramucci will be my guest on @colbertlateshow,” he tweeted. “This is just a heads up for our censors to get ready! #themooch,” he wrote, referring to Scaramucci's four-letter diatribe to a New Yorker reporter that got Scaramucci fired.

Colbert used the word “exclusive” often in making the announcement on “The Late Show.” But the claim was dented Thursday morning when Stephanopoulos tweeted that he’ll have Scaramucci Sunday morning on “This Week” on ABC.

“EXCLUSIVE,” Stephanopoulos tweeted at around 5 or 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, using that word again. “I'll sit down live with @Scaramucci for his first interview since being fired from the WH, this Sunday only on @ThisWeekABC.” For now, Steph’s exclusive is holding.

This one-two punch of Scaramucci media appearances Sunday morning and then Monday night seems designed by The Mooch himself.

There is a shrewdness about it -- particularly the reasoning behind going on a late-night comedy show such as “Colbert.”

Scaramucci was pummeled less than two weeks ago on all of the late-night shows after he was fired (and before he was fired, come to think of it). Going on one of the shows to face the music is sound p.r. strategy.

However, at the White House, Scaramucci proved that he was just about the worst communicator that the communications profession has likely ever seen. That means his attempt to rehabilitate his image could run into a big roadblock -- himself.

One example is the tweet he posted Wednesday complaining that New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza had the nerve to record their now-infamous phone conversation without telling Scaramucci that it was being taped.

Only a communications professional who is an ignoramus, or hopelessly green in the job, would complain about this. What he should have done was comport himself under the assumption that he was being taped.

In many places (such as New York State and the District of Columbia), reporters are not obligated to inform their interview subjects that they are being taped during phone interviews. 

Seasoned professional communicators know this. The Scaramuccis of the world apparently do not.

Oh, well -- the man was a joke as White House communications director. He now stands to act accordingly on the “Colbert” show.