Mark Corallo, the newly appointed spokesman, has "MAGA" as part of his Twitter bio and frequently tweets and retweets pro-Trump content. However, he hasn't been shy about slamming the president when he feels Trump deserves it.
Hey Mr. President, where's all the "winning?" Or, like the guy from AR, are you going to tell me it depends on the definition of "winning?"
— Mark Corallo (@MarkCorallo1) May 2, 2017
Corallo went after Jared Kushner, calling for the president to "remove" him from his advisory position.
Dear Mr. President, this is worse than just "bad optics." It's sleazy. You could start draining the swamp by removing your in-laws. https://t.co/7g759PHQSL
— Mark Corallo (@MarkCorallo1) May 7, 2017
He also offered praise for Robert Mueller, a man he may be meeting in court sooner rather than later if the accusations against Trump stick.
Bob is the best. Period. If the facts merit, he'll recommend charging. More importantly, if there's nothing there, he won't. https://t.co/KCoIQG458s
— Mark Corallo (@MarkCorallo1) May 18, 2017
"I don't know if there is a finer human being than Bob Mueller," Corallo told Politico, describing him as "the brother you want — the dad you want — he's the guy you want your daughter to marry."
Corallo defended his tweets in an email to the Times, saying that they proved he was not a "yes-man."
"I have not been shy about expressing my admiration and support for President Trump. I hold him and his family in the highest esteem both personally and professionally," Corallo wrote. "I have never been shy about expressing my opinions as a private citizen. I am not a "yes man," and the fact that I may have been critical of the administration on a few occasions is proof of that."
Corallo is a veteran of the public relations arena as well as an outspoken conservative, having begun his Washington career as the press secretary to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston in 1996. He is the spokesman for Marc Kasowitz, Trump's personal lawyer.
Corallo was initially considered for the job of White House communications director, but turned it down. The job went to Michael Dubke, who resigned in late May. The office is currently occupied by Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
"I think I will be more help to the president on the outside than I would have been on the inside," Corallo told Politico on June 18. "The order of magnitude is a little bigger than some of the other high-profile matters I've been involved in, but the president will be cleared because he did nothing wrong. Don't underestimate this guy."
