While Republicans in the Senate debated a controversial, “skinny” health care bill that would repeal key parts of Obamacare and potentially strip millions of Americans of their insurance coverage, cable news seemed to be focusing on a whole other story: venomous profanity coming from a top White House aide.

Less than a week after he was appointed White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci sparked a media furor on Thursday after unleashing a profane, unhinged rant against top Trump administration aides in an interview with The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza. In the phone call, which Scaramucci initiated, he threatened to fire the entire White House communications staff, called chief of staff Reince Priebus a “paranoid schizophrenic” and said chief strategist Steve Bannon was trying to build his “own brand off the fucking strength of the president.”

Lizza wrote about the interaction shortly after Scaramucci tweeted (and then deleted) a missive in which he appeared to blame White House leaks on Priebus, themselves a series of newsworthy and inflammatory events. But some were exasperated that cable networks ― including CNN, MSNBC and Fox News ― seemed to devote more time to Scaramucci’s comments than to the health care battle raging in Congress.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) asked the networks to “stop covering Scaramucci for a sec” and instead focus on the “REAL BREAKING NEWS affecting millions of Americans.”

Hey cable news: there's actually REAL BREAKING NEWS affecting millions of Americans happening right now. Stop covering Scaramucci for a sec. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) July 28, 2017

Others on Twitter, including Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), expressed similar frustration, while some praised public broadcasters like C-SPAN, which had been covering the vote all night.

I am not a media critic but WTH. https://t.co/qxbgzV4ecl — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 28, 2017

Best part about C-SPAN is that you can watch Congress make important votes without having to turn on cable news. Looking at you, Fox News. — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) July 28, 2017

We actually have a GOP health care bill now and cable news TV is all about Scaramucci. — Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) July 28, 2017

Cable news is full of Scaramucci while in the Senate, they're about to vote on a healthcare bill that was unveiled 2 hours ago at most. — Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755) July 28, 2017

While everyone is talking about Scaramucci, the R's are trying to pass a BS healthcare bill in the middle of the night. NOT a coincidence. — Hannah Cranston (@HannahCranston) July 28, 2017

I'm as entertained by Mooch story as anyone but cable news leading with this instead of healthcare is how we got Trump in the first place! — Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) July 28, 2017

Scaramucci is a genius. While this is going on all CNN and MSNBC are talking about is his comments. Pat Riley-esque. https://t.co/9kFCZvesF0 — Steve Popper (@StevePopper) July 28, 2017

Now >>>



-MSNBC: Maddow rerun from tonight



-FOX News (live): Scaramucci/Senate in background



-CNN (live): Health care/Senate in background — Jon Steingart (@jonsteingart) July 28, 2017

Hey, @CNN and @MSNBC, maybe it’s time to cut away from the wall-to-wall Scaramucci coverage? Hell, perhaps a BREAKING NEWS chryon, too. https://t.co/UfRPilo48n — Jamie O'Grady (@JamieOGrady) July 28, 2017

No one on cable news is discussing the health care vote. CNN and MSNBC are locked on Scaramucci while Fox is very focused on The Deep State. — Emily Guskin (@EmGusk) July 28, 2017

Hey. @TheLastWord @MSNBC. STOP TALKING ABOUT SCARAMUCCI. COVER THE HEALTH CARE VOTE. — Daniel M. Jimenez (@DMJreports) July 28, 2017