60. Anthony Scaramucci: What it's like to be Donald Trump's Communications Director
Feb 19, 2024
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Former Trump Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci discusses Trump's motivations, potential deals with Taylor Swift, and a second Trump presidency. The episode delves into the dynamics of political endorsements, working-class support for Trump, and scenarios for Democratic candidate replacement. The conversation also explores Trump's economic strategy, Biden's messaging, and the battle for influence between Trump and Taylor Swift.
Trump is driven by money and attention, struggles with decision-making and admires dictators like Putin.
The impact of money in American politics post Citizens United decision benefits the wealthy and skews legislative agendas.
A Trump return to power would pose risks with his organized approach, desire to dismantle institutions, and divisive rhetoric.
Deep dives
Chaos and Insecurity in the Trump White House
During his short-lived 11 days as communications director in the Trump White House, Anthony Scaramucci experienced firsthand the chaos and insecurity of the administration. He describes Trump as a small and insecure individual who has trouble making decisions and is motivated by money and attention. Decision-making in the White House often involved keeping information away from Trump or ignoring his erratic instructions. Scaramucci also discusses Trump's admiration for dictators like Putin and warns that if Trump were to return to power, he would be more organized and intent on undermining American institutions.
The Influence of Money in Politics
Scaramucci explains the role of money in American politics, highlighting the impact of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. He describes the system as a separate but equal democracy for the very rich, who can spend unlimited amounts of money through political action committees. This has skewed legislative agendas towards the wealthy and corporate interests, leading to dissatisfaction among the lower and middle classes. Scaramucci argues that the disaffection with the system and the desire for a maverick like Trump to disrupt it was a driving force behind his initial support.
The Potential Impact of Trump's Return
Scaramucci believes that a potential return of Donald Trump would be a five-alarm situation for the United States. He warns that Trump is more organized, has a better team, and openly expresses his desire to dismantle the institutions of the American system. Trump's disregard for democratic norms, his admiration for dictators, and his divisive rhetoric all pose risks to the country's stability and global relationships. While Scaramucci is confident that Trump's unpopularity among independent voters and suburban housewives would work against him, he cautions that if Joe Biden were to step aside due to health issues, Democrats would need to field a strong candidate to compete against Trump in an open primary.
Trump's Communication Skills and Political Instincts
Trump is a colorful and effective communicator with strong political instincts. He had a talent for grabbing attention and understanding the frustrations of a portion of the population that felt left out of the current social contract. However, while he excelled at communication and connecting with his base, he lacked executive management skills and struggled with hiring competent people for his team.
The Bannon Vision and Trump's America First Movement
The Bannon vision for Trump was one of isolationism and disconnecting America from the global order. This idea echoed the sentiments of the America First movement from the late 1890s, which sought to wall off America from the rest of the world and manufacture all goods and services domestically. Trump, being motivated by attention and money, bought into this ideology and believed that America could thrive independently. However, this vision and approach were not appealing to everyone and faced criticism for neglecting important global alliances and disrupting the world order.
Would a second Trump presidency be far more right wing? What drives the former US president? Is he trying to do a deal with Taylor Swift?
In this week's episode of Leading, Rory and Alastair are joined by Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's former spin doctor, where he answers all these questions and more.
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