Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney helped Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) celebrate his 53rd birthday by mocking the lawmaker's hair and exaggerating his age.
Mulvaney formerly represented South Carolina alongside Trey Gowdy in the House of Representatives, and the two have been friends for years. Mulvaney's February appointment in the Trump administration prompted Gowdy to release a statement of "congratulations to my friend." On the occasion of Gowdy's birthday, Mulvaney opted for a different approach; namely, a friendly gibe.
What do you get for someone on his 60th birthday? A razor and a comb.
Happy birthday, @TGowdySC. pic.twitter.com/ZNWaPHZl7c— Mick Mulvaney (@MickMulvaneyOMB) August 22, 2017
Gowdy's hair has changed styles and garnered attention for years. As for his age, Mulvaney aged his friend seven years in the post. Gowdy wasted no time in striking back, implicating Mulvaney in the White House's recent string of personnel departures.
I'm just a couple of haircuts away from equaling the number of staff departures by your WH colleagues. I get it. You are hard to work with. https://t.co/sN0dg8ahrU
— Trey Gowdy (@TGowdySC) August 22, 2017
Last month, Anthony Scaramucci joined the Trump administration as communications director as Sean Spicer left his post as press secretary. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus departed soon afterward, followed by Scaramucci and his opponent, chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Mulvaney replied to Gowdy's tweet with a final light-hearted dig.
If I could defund your haircuts, I would. https://t.co/3SnJM5aq6b
— Mick Mulvaney (@MickMulvaneyOMB) August 22, 2017
Gowdy did not leave it there, responding with a reference to Mulvaney's budget policy.
"Mick won't even fund Meals on Wheels. He surely isn't going to pay for someone else's haircut," Gowdy wrote.
The Trump administration's proposed budget—released in March—was criticized for cuts that some claimed would "end" Meals on Wheels. The claim stemmed from a proposal to eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. That claim was later proven inaccurate as the organization receives the bulk of its funding from sources other than the CDBG.
Gowdy and Mulvaney have traded birthday jabs in the past as well. In June, Gowdy took a shot at Mulvaney for looking older than he is, and Mulvaney struck back later that morning.
Honestly thought Mick Mulvaney turned 50 years ago. Was wrong. Happy 50th Micky.
— Trey Gowdy (@TGowdySC) July 20, 2017
I'd like to call out @TGowdySC. He's hiding two deep, dark secrets:
#1 He's much older than I am.
#2 He needed CBO's help counting to 50. https://t.co/ceJLZ83T9b— Mick Mulvaney (@MickMulvaneyOMB) July 20, 2017