Sean Spicer. Win McNamee/Getty Images

New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci referred to former press secretary Sean Spicer as Melissa McCarthy to people within the White House, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The Journal's report cited several Trump administration officials in its claim. McCarthy gained wide critical acclaim for her portrayal of Spicer on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," during which she frequently spoofed his most noteworthy moments behind the podium during press briefings.

Spicer resigned from his position on Friday, and media reports indicated that he did so in protest of President Donald Trump's decision to hire Scaramucci as communications director.

But Scaramucci said on Friday that he would "love to have Sean [Spicer] here. Sean decided that he thought it would be better to go."

He added: "I'm used to dealing with friction," and said that he did not have any personal negativity towards Spicer or chief of staff Reince Priebus, who was also reportedly opposed to Scaramucci's hiring.