President Donald Trump on Friday picked Anthony Scaramucci to be his new communications director, but in 2015, the Wall Street financier wasn’t so fond of Trump.
Scaramucci, who initially supported Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) during the 2016 presidential campaign, called Trump a “hack politician” in 2015 after Trump criticized the hedge fund industry as people who just “move around paper.”
Scaramucci took issue with the comment during an appearance on Fox Business Network, and compared Trump’s attitude toward Wall Street with that of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has championed robust oversight of the financial industry.
“He’s a hack politician, he’s probably gonna make Elizabeth Warren his vice presidential nominee with comments like that. It’s anti-American, it’s very very divisive. I’ll tell you who he’s gonna be president of ― you can tell Donald I said this ― the Queens County bullies association,” he said.
Scaramucci continued his rebuke by calling out Trump’s treatment of women.
“I don’t like the way he talks about women. I don’t like the way he talks about our friend Megyn Kelly,” he said.
He went on to say that “the politicians don’t want to go at Trump because he’s got a big mouth and they’re afraid he’s gonna light them up on Fox News and all these other places.”
Scaramucci addressed the comments during his inaugural appearance at the White House briefing room lectern on Friday, saying the comments were “one of the biggest mistakes I made.” Trump, he said, brought up the comment “every 15 seconds.”
“I was an unexperienced person in the world of politics supporting another candidate, I should’ve never said that about him. Mr. President, if you’re listening, I personally apologize for the 50th time for saying that,” Scaramucci said. “But here’s the wonderful thing about the news media: That was three minutes of my life. He’s never forgotten it and you’ve never forgotten it but I hope that some day Mr. President you will forget it.”
Scaramucci then emphasized his closeness and loyalty to Trump, saying “I love the president.”
The new communications director also deleted old tweets criticizing Trump after being tapped to the White House post on Friday, according to a report by The Daily Beast.
Scaramucci isn’t the first official employed by Trump who previously spoke out against him.
During the campaign, Energy Secretary Rick Perry called Trump’s candidacy a “cancer on conservatism.”
Before You Go
