He’s teased about firing many more members of his administration, often joking about canning them during meetings or public appearances.

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At a Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia on Monday, Trump broke out the finger gun once again when he joked that if Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price didn’t get the votes to win on the health-care bill, he would be out of a job. Trump told the scouts: "And hopefully he is going to get the votes tomorrow … He better get them. He better get them. Otherwise I’ll say ‘Tom, you're fired!’"

But some who know the president well say the persona he created on “The Apprentice,” where he seemed to relish letting people go, is not the Trump they know in real life. Sam Nunberg, Trump’s policy adviser during his presidential campaign told Politico in June: “I don’t think he likes to gratuitously fire people,” he said. “He wants to give people chances.” Trump fired Nunberg when his racially charged Facebook posts were made public.

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Here’s a look at other people Trump has fired or threatened to fire -- complete with a finger gun tally.

Whom he fired

Acting attorney general Sally Yates

Fired on: Jan. 30, 2017

Reason: Yates sent a memo to Justice Department employees asking them not to defend Trump’s initial travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries.

Method: Yates was given a hand-delivered letter just a few hours before the White House released a statement to reporters.

Finger gun involved: No.

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U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara

Fired on: March 11, 2017

Reason: The Trump administration asked all remaining Obama-era attorneys to resign, clearing the way for new appointments.

Method: After refusing to hand in his resignation, Bharara was officially fired.

Finger gun involved: No.

FBI Director James B. Comey

Fired on: May 9, 2017

Reason: Trump said he fired Comey for his handling of the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails. But Comey testified that he believes he was fired to “change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted.”

Method: A hand-delivered letter was sent to Comey’s office while he was visiting California. Comey heard about his firing on the news.

Finger gun involved: No.

Whom he's threatened/“threatened”

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump

Reason: Trump put his sons in charge of the family business. If they don’t run it well while Trump is president, he says they’ll be out of a job.

Was he joking? For the most part, yes.

Finger gun involved: Oh, yes.



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Special Prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III

Reason: Trump told New York Times reporters that if Mueller began investigating his businesses it would cross a red line. But he did not answer the reporters’ questions as to whether he would fire Mueller because he didn’t think that line would be crossed. It has been crossed. Bloomberg News reported on July 20 that Mueller is focusing on Trump’s transactions in Russia.

Was he joking? Not a chance.

Finger gun involved: No.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price



Reason: At a Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia on July 24, Trump joked that if Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price didn’t secure enough Senate votes to proceed with dismantling Obamacare, he would be out of a job. Trump told the scouts: “And hopefully he is going to get the votes tomorrow ... He better get them. He better get them. Otherwise I'll say, ‘Tom, you’re fired!’"

Was he joking? The Senate did vote to proceed on a health-care bill, so we may never know.

Finger gun involved: Absolutely.



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U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley

Reason: Trump questioned Haley’s colleagues on whether she was doing a good job during a lunch with members of the Security Council.

Was he joking? It seems that way. “I want to thank Ambassador Nikki Haley for her outstanding leadership and for acting as my personal envoy on the Security Council. She is doing a good job. Now, does everybody like Nikki?," he said. “Otherwise she could be easily replaced, right? No, we won’t do that. I promise you we won’t do that. She’s doing a fantastic job.”

Finger gun involved: Only the metaphorical one of being burned at your own work lunch.



White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon

Reason: During an exchange with New York Post reporter Michael Goodwin, Trump distanced himself from Bannon, minimizing his role as an adviser.

Was he joking? This might be serious. Bannon was removed from the National Security Council in April, and his role in the White House is increasingly unclear.

Finger gun involved: As far as we know, no.



White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus

Reason: In June, Politico reported that Trump set a deadline of July 4 to remove several staff members, including Priebus. “I don’t want them to come into this mess. If I’m going to clean house, they will come in as fresh blood,” Trump said, according to Politico's source.

Was he joking? No, though he has not yet acted on the threat.

Finger gun involved: The source did not specify.



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White House press secretary Sean Spicer

Reason: Rumors about Trump wanting to replace Spicer circulated throughout his tenure before he resigned on July 20. Reports included Trump mulling a replacement such as Laura Ingraham or Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Method: Spicer submitted his resignation.

Finger gun involved: No, but Trump did tease him for his work in front of the camera. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read the president’s remarks during a press briefing: "I wish him continued success as he moves on to pursue new opportunities. Just look at his great television ratings."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions