Anthony Scaramucci. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Anthony Scaramucci believes Donald Trump's threats of vengeance should be taken seriously — and he has made no secret of it.
I caught up with the Trump-ally-turned-critic this week for a media-focused conversation previewing the next four years.
In the interview, we touched on everything from the "Morning Joe" hosts’ Mar-a-Lago pilgrimage to his recent tense interview with CNBC's Joe Kernen to what Trump may do to hinder the M&A climate for media companies.
Below is the Q&A, edited for clarity.
You served as Trump's White House communications director for a blissful 11 days. What do you believe Trump's relationship will be like in his second term?
I think the definition of insanity is to repeat the same thing and expect a different outcome. Trump will have very rough and very difficult relationships with his staff and many people will depart, similar to last time. However, I can guarantee those people right now think everything is going to be just fine. That’s just not how it works with Trump.
Is there anything you fear he may do to curtail press freedoms?
He certainly would like to do that. But I don’t think he will be able to. It’s clear he’s a lame duck president and the congressional Republicans are preparing for elections in the post-Trump world. I think you are going to see them flex on him.
The business community is looking forward to the Trump presidency because the M&A climate looks to be warmer. Those in the media sector, in particular, are hoping they can move some deals across the finish line. But Trump is also vindictive. Do you think he might use the power of government to interfere with proposed deals if the news organizations inside some of these media conglomerates are critical of him?
He has been known to use the power of the presidency to personal advantage — or to settle personal scores — and so it would make sense that he would create some adversarial activity at the governmental level for people that he dislikes. Unfortunately, he is staffing a lot of people who will be beholden to him more than they are to the fairness and the objectivity of the system. So there is certainly a risk.
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You know Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. What did you make of their trip to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago?
They are close friends of mine and I do their show. I think they were palpably worried about recriminations from Trump so I’m hoping that their visit has put aside their worries. But what I would say to them — and I would say this to other people in the country — is that if journalists are worried about a presidential candidate making threats, then that candidate should’ve never been a candidate for office at the high level of the American presidency. Joe and Mika’s ratings have been impacted by that decision, but they’re incredibly talented people and my guess is they will build it back up.
Do you think such fears are valid? After all, you've also been quite critical of Trump.
I think you have to take Trump at his word. If he is making threats, you have to take those threats seriously. However, the system is going to block Trump the same way it did when he nominated Matt Gaetz to be attorney general. So no, I am not worried. But if Trump is left to his own devices, without this wonderful system of checks and balances, there would be a cause to worry.
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Recently, you appeared on CNBC where you got into a testy exchange with Joe Kernen. You've been friends with Kernen for years and years. But it seemed you two were simply unable to have a conversation about Trump. Why do you believe that is the case?
I think Joe was overly emotional during that interview and I don’t think that it served the purpose that he wanted — unless it was to have Trump say, “Great job, Joe. Anthony is a total loser.” Which Trump did say on Truth Social. At the end of the day, it’s important, particularly for business leaders, to have civil discourse and to be able to disagree respectively, particularly on a show like “Squawk Box.” So I hope to be back on and I hope that the conversation will be more productive.
Is there anything the news media can do to regain trust with a large swath of the public? Or is that impossible today, with media so fragmented and outlets like Fox News whipping up constant hate for the press?
Of course there is. I think CNN is actually doing that by putting both Democrats and Republicans on shows and letting them have a brisk — and often times heated, but intellectual — debate. At the end of the day, it’ll be important for people to see us stop the tribalism in the in fighting.
Weekend Rundown
Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk joked about purchasing MSNBC. [The Hill]
Joe Rogan chimed in: "If you buy MSNBC I would like Rachael Maddow’s job. I will wear the same outfit and glasses, and I will tell the same lies." 🙄 [Mashable]
Bluesky usage in the U.S. and U.K. has "skyrocketed by almost 300 percent to 3.5 million daily users," Hannah Murphy and John Burn-Murdoch reported, citing Similarweb data. [FT]
Alex Heath reported on how the buzz in the A.I. sector is "turning to 'reasoning' and A.I. agents" as models hit a "scaling wall." [The Verge]
CNN "is considering making network anchor Kaitlan Collins its chief White House correspondent," Max Tani reported. "As part of the change, Collins and her show would relocate, at least part of the time, to Washington, D.C. from New York." [Semafor]
Kellyanne Conway confronted Meghan McCain at the Women's Power Summit, in an incident one eyewitness described to Hugh Dougherty as "something from the 'Real Housewives.'" [Daily Beast]
"I dreaded talking about this today": Fox News contributor Leslie Marshall cited her own sexual assault while making the case against Pete Hegseth as defense secretary. [Mediaite]
Newsmax is attempting to lure Matt Gaetz to the right-wing network, Justin Baragona reported. [The Independent]
Elahe Izadi reported on how some people are "tuning out the news media as a way to take care of themselves" after the election. [WaPo]
CBS News said Norah O'Donell's final night in the "CBS Evening News" anchor chair will be January 24. [Variety]
Adele closed out her Las Vegas residency, telling fans in an emotional speech she is "so sad" it is over, but "so glad that it happened." [Deadline]
"The music industry is entering new era," Lucas Shaw reported, "one driven by a slowdown at the major labels, the growing market for independents and the rapacity of private equity." [Bloomberg]
Iconic game show host Chuck Woolery died at 83. [NYT]
Jon M. Chu hinted at a "Crazy Rich Asians" sequel. [Deadline]
Apple decided not to move forward with a sequel to "Wolfs." [Variety]
Box Office Report
A scene in "Wicked." (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
"Hollywood was back this weekend to where it desperately hungers to be — at the center of global culture," Brooks Barnes wrote. [NYT]
But while it was unquestionably a good weekend, it wasn't as rosy as some of the projections had initially suggested it would be.
"Wicked" opened to $114 million, when it had been forecasted to earn north of $120 million. Nevertheless, it was still the biggest debut for a Broadway adaption in history. [CNBC]
"Gladiator II" opened at $55 million, when it was expected to have opened north of $60 million. [The Wrap]
"There's already an idea": In an interview with James Hibberd, Ridley Scott teased "Gladiator III." [THR]
Elsewhere, "Red One" pocketed another $13 million. [Box Office Mojo]
