Watch Live Stream: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Delivers White House Press Briefing On July 27

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered a briefing for reporters on Thursday afternoon. Watch a replay of the event below.

Sanders had to address reports that Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, is feuding with Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Rumors suggest President Trump wants to replace Priebus with Scaramucci in the future, but the new communications director initially tried to downplay any rivalry. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

In a Thursday interview on CNN, though, Scaramucci said: "If you want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds — we have had differences. When I said we were brothers from the podium, that's because we're rough on each other. Some brothers are like Cain and Abel."

In the Bible, Cain murdered Abel.

Another issue hanging over the White House is Attorney General Jeff Sessions's standing with the president. Trump has repeatedly criticized Sessions in recent days, in an apparent attempt to lay the groundwork for his dismissal.

You can watch a live stream of the event below.

Read a full transcript of Sanders's comments from the White House Press Office below:

MS. SANDERS: Thanks so much, Tom. We really appreciate it.

Thank you, Tom, Rob. Just like the dedicated men and women of ICE and DOJ who are unquestionably producing results every day in these fights against vicious cartels, Senate Republicans now have an opportunity this evening to deliver on one of our biggest promises to the American people.

On the Hill, the Senate is gearing up for a series of votes on the Republican plans to finally repeal and replace Obamacare and replace it with the Freedom Health Care Bill. Congressional Republicans have been telling the American people that, given the chance, they would save them from this increasing damage of this disastrous law.

After seven years of skyrocketing premiums and dwindling healthcare options, now is there chance to act. The President looks forward to seeing the Senate fulfill that promise later tonight when they finally repeal Obamacare and end the nightmares it has caused for American families and businesses.

I hate to start the Q&A off on a low note, but I wanted to get ahead of some of the personnel-related questions and just let you guys know ahead of time that, no, I cannot confirm whether or not Sean Spicer will be on "Dancing with the Stars" upon leaving the White House. (Laughter.)

And with that, I will take your questions. Jonathan.

Q Sarah, does the President have confidence in his Chief of Staff?

MS. SANDERS: Look, I think I've addressed this question when it comes to staffing and personnel many times, that if the President doesn’t, then he'll make that decision. We all serve at the pleasure of the President, and if he gets to a place where that isn’t the case, he'll let you know.

Q So you can't say right now if the President has full confidence in Chief of Staff Reince Priebus?

MS. SANDERS: I think I just answered that. Look, I think what we have -- this is a White House that has a lot of different perspectives, because the President hires the very best people. They're not always going to agree. There are going to be a lot of different ideas. Unlike previous administration, this isn’t groupthink. We all come and have a chance to voice those ideas, voice those perspectives, and have a lot of healthy competition. And with that competition you usually get the best results. The President likes that type of competition and encourages it. The people that are here are here because they love the President, they love this country, and they want to see the best things happen. And sometimes you're going to have different ideas come to the table. That's all we're talking about.

Q But we're talking about public humiliation of both the Attorney General and now the Chief of Staff, left to kind of wonder about their own fate and their own status within this administration.

MS. SANDERS: I don’t know that the President has spoken about that. Particularly on Attorney General Sessions -- look, he's been clear that he was disappointed with his decision to recuse himself. But at the same time, as I've said -- look, Attorney General Sessions knows better than anybody that the President and his campaign had nothing to do with Russia, and his decision to recuse himself was disappointing to the President. At the same time, the President wants him to do his job, do it properly. He wants him to be tough on the intelligence leaks, and he wants him to move forward.

Q Lindsay Graham says there will be "holy hell to pay" if Attorney General Sessions is fired. What does the President say to that?

MS. SANDERS: You know, I haven’t asked him about Lindsay Graham's comments.

Matthew.

Q Thanks, Sarah. The President -- excuse me, the Pentagon has announced that the President's statements via Twitter did not change the transgender policy in the military and that the White House actually has to issue a policy directive to the Secretary of Defense to make that change happen. So, two questions. Does the President plan to do so? And if so, how will that affect transgender troops that are currently serving?

MS. SANDERS: As I said yesterday, the White House will work with the Department of Defense and all of the relevant parties to make sure that we fully implement this policy moving forward and do so in a lawful manner.

Q But what is the policy? And was the President aware that he can't make policy changes via statements on Twitter? Because the Pentagon is saying --

MS. SANDERS: I think he was making the announcement of the policy change. So that was --

Q So the policy hasn’t yet been formulated?

MS. SANDERS: Well, like I said, they are going to have to work out the details on how that all moves forward to lawfully implement that policy change from this point.

Q Sarah, thank you. Moving on to healthcare, you talked about how Senate Republicans have the chance tonight to really undo Obamacare. But it seems like the thing that's most likely to get through is the skinny repeal, and that would just kind of -- that would maybe get rid of the mandate and some other things. But it’s not the massive overhaul that had been promised. So would the White House support just a skinny repeal, that being signed into law?

MS. SANDERS: We certainly support progress moving forward, and that's what we're seeing taking place in the Senate right now.

And I think that that's -- the place where we've been since we started this is we're looking for moving the ball forward down the field, repealing and replacing it with a better healthcare system. And this is one step within that process.

Q But does the White House believe that a skinny repeal on its own would be enough to address the issues of premiums -- rising premiums and deductibles and things like that? Would the President sign just a skinny repeal?

MS. SANDERS: Well, we've got see what they get to tonight. We haven’t seen a final piece of legislation. We're continuing to work with the Senate to make sure we get the best healthcare we can.

Q Yes, Sarah. I want to ask two questions -- one about the President’s management style and one about immigration enforcement.

So on the President’s management style, is the President aware that occasionally -- days like yesterday, when he had a big jobs announcement he wanted to roll out -- that his seemingly impulsive decisions to make an announcement on transgender troops steps on his own message? Is the President aware of that dynamic? And is he interested in changing it at all?

MS. SANDERS: I think the President is aware that he can walk and chew gum at the same time. This is a White House that takes on a lot of different things every day, not just one. And we're going to continue to do that moving forward.

Q On immigration -- I had a question on immigration enforcement.

MS. SANDERS: Sorry.

Q So this week when the President spoke in Ohio, he spoke about MS-13 and he gave a litany of the violence that they're capable of. And then he said, "Our guys are rougher than their guys." What did the President mean by that?

MS. SANDERS: I think the President means that our guys are going to do whatever it takes to protect Americans, protect American lives, protect our borders.

Q Is that a license for the use of more force when it comes to making arrests against MS-13?

MS. SANDERS: Look, the President wants people to do their jobs -- not go beyond the scope of what they should do. But he wants to protect our country. He wants to protect American people, and he’s asked the law enforcement agencies to step up and help be part of that process as I think we would all expect for them to.

Q Does he want the law enforcement agencies to change the rules of the use of force when it comes to making arrests against MS-13?

MS. SANDERS: I’m not aware of any specific changes.

Q Thanks, Sarah. Anthony Scaramucci was on CNN today talking about Reince Priebus. He said, “If he wants to prove he’s not a leaker, let him do it.” I can't imagine that you would speak on Anthony’s behalf, but if you would, does he think that Reince Priebus is a leaker? Or does the White House, does the President think that Reince is leaking?

MS. SANDERS: I’m not going to comment on Anthony’s suggestion. I’ll let him answer for himself. I think I made pretty clear where the President is, and I don't have anything to add beyond that.

Q I had a tax question, too, please. Does the President believe that tax overhaul should increase the budget deficit? Or should it be revenue neutral?

MS. SANDERS: Look, we're continuing to make announcements on the details of the tax reform plan. As I’m sure you all saw, there was a joint statement that came out earlier today. And we're making a lot of progress on this front. As we get closer to lining out the final details, we’ll certainly be putting those out in front of all of you.

The big pieces are simplification and helping take off the relief for the middle class. Those are big places that we're really focused, and we're going to continue to do that.

As you saw from the statement, the border adjustment tax was taken off the table, and that's another big step forward in the process.

Peter.

Q Sarah, can I ask you quickly about Anthony Scaramucci? A little bit of housekeeping. One --

MS. SANDERS: Only if you do it quickly.

Q Fine. Has he taken an oath of office?

MS. SANDERS: I’m sorry?

Q Has Anthony Scaramucci taken an oath of office?

MS. SANDERS: Not that I’m aware of.

Q Have his security clearances gone through yet?

MS. SANDERS: As always, we do not discuss security clearances by staff at the White House.

Q Is he an official member of the White House staff now? Initially it was announced that it would be in mid-August.

MS. SANDERS: He is working at the White House, but on your other questions, I can't answer that.

John Gizzi.

Q So let me follow up on --

Q Thank you, Sarah.

MS. SANDERS: We're going to go with one-question Thursday because we're kind of tight on time. As you guys know, the President has got an open-press event.

Q Let me ask you about the Boy Scouts then, if I can very quickly --

MS. SANDERS: I’m going to actually go to, John. Sorry, Peter.

Q Thank you, Sarah. I do have to ask you about the healthcare bill. Many who are in the Freedom Caucus say that they would oppose the skinny repeal that was referred to earlier; that if a measure came out with just, oh, ending the mandates and ending the tax on medical devices, that that would -- and not addressing anything else, they’d vote against it. Is the President aware of this? And is he making any calls for specific parts of the repeal effort?

MS. SANDERS: Look, the administration has been working hand-in-hand on pushing repeal and replace of Obamacare. We actually like the term "freedom bill" a lot better because we think it addresses what this bill actually is -- it removes a lot of those mandates that allow people to have the type of freedom, have states have the freedom that they want. And that was one of the big priorities for this administration. We're happy about that progress.

And we're going to wait and see where this bill ends up later this evening.

Jon Decker.

Q Thanks, a lot, Sarah. Is the President -- just to follow up on what John Gizzi just asked you; I don't think you got to that particular part of the question.

MS. SANDERS: Sorry.

Q Is the President picking up the phone? Is he calling those seven or eight Republican senators, making the case for them that this may be their last best hope for repealing and replacing Obamacare? And if he is, what’s his message to those particular senators?

MS. SANDERS: The same one he’s been making all along: Let’s get the job done. Let’s replace a terrible healthcare system with a better one. And he’s going to be engaged, and I’ll keep you posted on any specifics and people that he talks to.

Peter.

Q He had all of those Republican senators here at the White House last week, Sarah.

MS. SANDERS: Sorry. Guys, we're real tight on time. I’m really going to try to keep you to one question. Let’s be polite to your colleagues.

Q Sorry.

MS. SANDERS: Go ahead, Peter.

Q Anthony Scaramucci said this morning that the President might veto the Russia sanctions bill, even though Senator Corker has now withdrawn his objection and that the same version that we've already seen from the House is going to be up for the Senate vote. Is that, in fact, possible? Would he veto that passed with just three negative votes in the House and two negative votes in the Senate?

MS. SANDERS: As I said yesterday, the President and the administration support sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. We continue to support strong sanctions against those three countries, and we're going to wait and see what that final legislation looks like and make a decision at that point.

Q (Inaudible.)

MS. SANDERS: As soon as we have a final piece of legislation, we’ll let you know.

David.

Q In terms of working with the DOD on this new policy, how long is it going to be before you find out what the details are? Weeks, months?

MS. SANDERS: I don't have a specific timeline, but I believe they're going to start moving on it quickly. But we’ll keep you posted as those details come out.

Q Will it be this year?

MS. SANDERS: Again, I don't have a specific timeline on what that looks like, but I know that they're ready to start moving and work on that implementation.

Major.

Q Sarah, thanks. Several Senate Republicans have sent signals to this White House: One, don't make a recess appointment because we're not going to allow it; two, there’s not going to be a confirmation if there’s a new Attorney General nominated. There is a signal being sent: Don't do what we fear you might be contemplating.

Can you, for the betterment of the Senate Republicans who are working with this White House on a lot of issues, put to rest once and for all the status of the Attorney General -- that he's not going to be fired, there's not going to be a need for a recess appointment, and this issue can be laid to rest, for the country and for Senate Republicans who appear, based on their public statements, to be anxious about this prospect?

MS. SANDERS: I guess I'm not sure how many times you have to lay an issue to rest. I've tried many times.

Q But when you don’t say the President has confidence, and the President says "time will tell," as he said earlier this week, I'm only telling you what Senate Republicans, who are in a position that have to deal with this, are saying.

MS. SANDERS: And I've answered your question. And yesterday you probably saw a statement come out from here that that was more fake news from The Washington Post on the fact that we were considering a recess appointment. I think that sums it up pretty clearly.

Q Thanks, Sarah. This is a little -- maybe just a little bit off topic. I want to run it by you anyway. Is the President aware of this story --

MS. SANDERS: It's probably good if we mix it up a little bit.

Q Yeah, why not -- right? Is the President aware of the story of the IT staff -- of the congressional IT staffer who most recently worked for Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Imran Awan, who was recently arrested attempting to leave the country, although he said he was not trying to flee the country? Is the President aware of that particular circumstance? And is he satisfied with the pace of the investigation?

MS. SANDERS: I haven’t had a conversation with him specifically about that, but I do think that is something we should fully look into and there should be a thorough investigation on that.

Kristen.

Q Since we only have one question, I'm going to ask you about the Boy Scouts --

MS. SANDERS: Make it count.

Q -- their chief wrote this to family members who were at the President's event earlier this week: "I want to extend my sincere apologies to those that are Scouting family who are offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree. That was never our intent. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program." Does the President owe the Boy Scouts an apology?

MS. SANDERS: I was at that event, and I saw nothing but roughly 40,000 to 45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the President on throughout his remarks, and I think they were pretty excited that he was there and happy to hear him speak to them.

Q But the head of the Boy Scouts has acknowledged that there was a problem. A lot of parents have expressed frustration in the wake of those comments and felt the need to actually write a letter about it. So does the President owe them an apology?

MS. SANDERS: Again, I was at that event and heard nothing but a lot of cheering and probably one of the most energetic crowds I've seen in front of the President. And so I don’t have anything to add. I haven’t seen the statement from the Boy Scouts, so I can't comment any further than what I saw firsthand, and that was a lot of individuals, roughly 40,000 to 45,000, as reported, cheering the President on.

Zeke.

Q Thanks, Sarah. I have two for you real quick, if you don’t mind.

MS. SANDERS: You get one. Remember there's a rule today.

Q I'm going to be quick. First on Anthony Scaramucci on CNN this morning, he said he had a conversation with Attorney General Jeff Sessions about these supposed leaks. That would appear to violate DOJ guidelines. So I was hoping you could provide some clarity on that front.

And secondly, out of Alaska today, the local paper there is reporting the Senator Murkowski received a phone call from the Secretary of Interior Zinke, threatening the people of -- essentially threatening the services and federal dollars that were spent -- that the administration (inaudible) toward the people of Alaska if she voted a certain way on the healthcare bill. I was hoping if you could confirm that and discuss whether that sort of conversation, if it happened, would be appropriate.

MS. SANDERS: I'll answer both of your questions with one answer so that it keeps it somewhat fair since you kind of broke the rules. But I'm not going to speak about conversations between Cabinet members and other individuals that I wasn’t a part of and haven’t had a chance to talk to either individual about.

Francesca.

Q Thank you, Sarah. You suggested that the President continues to have confidence in Reince Priebus based on the fact that he's still in the position, and he's a friend of Anthony Scaramucci who's coming into the administration. At this point, based on what we've seen quite publicly playing out, though, does he think they at least need to sit down and talk, as House Speaker Paul Ryan said, and get whatever this is out of their system so that they can start off the one right foot here?

MS. SANDERS: I don’t know if he has an opinion on what they should do between the two of them. I think the President, as always, enjoys healthy competition and conversation, and he sees that as such.

I've got to wrap up here because the President is getting ready to do an event, which I know you all probably want to attend. And I want to leave you with just one last thing, because I close out, on an important development. You guys love to talk about Russia, and there's been nonstop coverage. And the one day that there might have been a question on Russia, there wasn’t. Often, we have a lot of media with Russia first, but today there was public testimony that further discredited the phony dossier that's been the source of so much of the fake news and conspiracy theories. And we learned that the firm that produced it was also being paid by the Russians. This is yet the latest piece of evidence that vindicates what the President has said, that this is a witch hunt and a hoax. And it's a shame that the President and the country have had to go through this charade continually. And hopefully this will help us move forward in that process.

And with that, thank you, guys, so much. And we'll see you tomorrow.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images