Anthony Scaramucci Reflects on Trump's 'Low Artistry' and His Own White House Folly
The former communications director details the 'catastrophic decisions' leading to Trump's rise and his own brief, tumultuous tenure.
Anthony Scaramucci, who served an 11-day stint as President Donald Trump's communications chief, has authored a new book, "All The Wrong Moves: How Three Catastrophic Decisions Led to the Rise of Trump." In it, Scaramucci analyzes the economic and political missteps he believes paved the way for Trump's presidency and offers a stark assessment of his former boss.
Scaramucci, once an ardent supporter of Trump, now describes him as a "low, low artist" and criticizes his approach to politics. He recounts his own past actions, including a now-infamous White House press conference where he praised Trump's athletic abilities, calling it "a gigantic ass-kissing move." He admits, "I shouldn’t have done that. Add that to my mistakes, my man."
His book argues that the rise of Trumpism was not an anomaly but a consequence of decisions made by previous administrations. Scaramucci identifies three key moments: President Bill Clinton's embrace of trade with China, which he contends harmed American workers; President George W. Bush's tax cuts coinciding with funding for prolonged Middle East wars; and President Barack Obama's bailout of Wall Street following the 2008 financial crisis while Main Street suffered. These events, in his view, created an environment where a figure like Trump could gain traction by exploiting public discontent.
Scaramucci also addresses his own "catastrophically stupid decision" to join the Trump administration. He notes that he was advised against it by prominent Republicans like Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and George W. Bush. "But I smelled power, and I got my ego involved," he stated.
His brief tenure was marked by controversy, including Trump's address to the Boy Scouts of America, which Scaramucci described as containing "almost nothing that’s not completely insane" and impromptu sexual innuendo directed at young attendees. Scaramucci recounts his reluctance to address the fallout from the speech, telling then-new press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, "I’m not cleaning that up. I’m giving that to [new press secretary] Sarah [Huckabee Sanders], man. That’s a big elephant shit right there."
Despite public humiliation and criticism from late-night comedians and shows like "Saturday Night Live," Scaramucci believes his downfall was not solely due to an interview with The New Yorker where he made a crude remark about Steve Bannon. Instead, he suggests his firing by then-incoming Chief of Staff John Kelly was the result of telling Trump he could not veto the Russia sanctions bill.
Initially loyal, Scaramucci by 2019 concluded that Trump was "exploiting the suffering of the people for his own narcissistic and malevolent ends." Their public falling out intensified when Trump attacked Scaramucci's wife on Twitter, an act Scaramucci considers a transgression of lines.
Scaramucci expresses guilt for enabling Trump but feels partly exonerated by his efforts to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. He also places blame on the Democratic Party for Trump's continued influence. His book warns of a potential "soft dictatorship" under a second Trump administration, drawing parallels to leaders like Viktor Orbán and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and suggests that figures like JD Vance and Ted Cruz are positioning themselves as potential successors. Scaramucci advocates for the dissolution of the current Republican Party, calling it "time for the funeral."
He remains critical of Trump's current popularity, suggesting that recent geopolitical events could lead to a significant backlash. "I believe that he’ll probably get hit with a tsunami of complaints, which could potentially knock him out of business," Scaramucci remarked, alluding to the midterms as a potential turning point.