The former communications director also dubbed Steve Bannon, “Adolf Bannon,” defended both Sean Hannity and Trump aide Kelly Sadler, and talked about what he would’ve done had he lasted longer in his White House position.
On Monday’s The Opposition, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci joined the continued conversation among politicians, media figures, and pundits about leaks within the White House. Members of the Trump administration have been divulging details of closed-door meetings to the press for awhile; however, last week’s leaked comment from Trump aide Kelly Sadler about John McCain still has D.C. in a frenzy.
Scaramucci told host Jordan Klepper Sadler’s comment about McCain — “He’s dying anyway” — was “an inappropriate thing to say.”
“I have no idea why she’s not apologizing in public, but it would be a good idea for her to do that,” Scaramucci said, though he later acknowledged Trump’s “long-standing feud” with McCain when Klepper asked why she might not issue an apology.
Ultimately, Scaramucci hopes Sadler — who he said is “great” at her job and to the president — won’t get fired. “The White House has got a bunch of leakers in there,” he said. “That was a hit job on Kelly Sadler.”
It’s these leakers, in particular, that Scaramucci has an issue with. “You’ve got a group of people in [the White House] that really only care about themselves. They don’t really care about the president’s agenda,” he told Klepper, explaining that the leakers treat information as a “currency” with journalists.
Klepper asked him if the leaks could be blamed on the environment Trump’s created, prompting Scaramucci to instead cite staffers who “got into the White House,” despite being “astonished” Trump won.
“The culture got set up that way by Reince Priebus. He flooded the place with Never Trumpers, he flooded the place with RNC people that don’t like the president, and so now they’re going after the president 18 months into the presidency,” Scaramucci said. “And so it’s nonsensical, and those people either need to stop and there needs to be a forcible change in culture, or they need to be removed. It’s really that simple.”
When pressed for specific names, Scaramucci wouldn’t budge, although he said, “If you showed me the roster, I could pick out the leakers. You don’t have to be Carrie Mathison from Homeland to figure out who’s doing the leaking.”
And if he would’ve stayed in the White House longer? “Well, if I had 12 days, I would’ve fired three or four more people,” Scaramucci said, referencing his 11-day tenure. “And then if I had 15 days, I probably would’ve fired another three or four more people, and then I guarantee you that the leaking would’ve stopped.”
Scaramucci also revealed his nickname for Steve Bannon — who Scaramucci, while still comms director, famously made some vulgar remarks about — “Adolf Bannon.”
“Well, that’s what he’s like,” Scaramucci said when the audience sounded shocked. “I mean, just pay close attention.”
Throughout the show, the two discussed everything from Klepper’s hair to Sean Hannity’s relationship with the president. Scaramucci dubbed Hannity one of his “best friends,” and said he didn’t think there was anything wrong with the Fox News host’s alleged late-night conversations with Trump — who Scaramucci said he still talks to “once in a while.”
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