In the years since his (short) tenure in Donald Trump’s first White House, Anthony Scaramucci has become a vocal advocate against the “dangerous” President and his agenda. But he’s not just holding a grudge. The financier feels uneasy about Trump’s rise to power—and the creeping authoritarianism he now embodies—and sees many better alternatives out there, across the political landscape.
The long-time registered Republican voiced support for former President Joe Biden’s campaign and did so again in 2024. And he has his eyes on at least one Democrat widely expected to enter the 2028 presidential race.
“I like Pete Buttigieg,” Scaramucci said on this week’s episode of The Daily Beast Podcast. “I think he’s their most talented person, and I would vote for him tonight.”
But as a “political realist,” Scaramucci is nervous about Buttigieg’s sexuality affecting his campaign. “I’ll probably get canceled now that I said that, you know… It doesn’t matter to me. I’m just being honest about the culture and the zeitgeist of the American society that we live in,” he continued, citing “Christian conservatism” as an obstacle the likely candidate will have to overcome.
Another “viable” option for the Mooch? California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I think he is an attractive guy in so many different ways,” he said. “I’m not talking about his physicality. I think he’s got good messaging. He’s a good governor.”
Newsom has recently shocked long-time supporters with attempts to reframe his reputation and political positions. In an attempt to appeal to the political center—and the right, he’s invited a slew of Trump allies and even the farthest-of-the-far-right MAGA members on his new podcast.
Scaramucci’s betting comes as the Democratic party faces record-low favorability ratings and a slew of candidates are clawing their way into the spotlight in the hopes of making the 2028 ticket.
There’s at least one candidate that Scaramucci didn’t seem too optimistic about: New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While she’s risen in popularity among progressives and emerged as the frontrunner in several national polls, AOC has become a laughing stock among the MAGA movement, said Scaramucci. Their ridicule has only grown in the months after she hit the road with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour.
“Just so you know, Trump is laughing at them because he knows where the country is,” admitted Scaramucci. “He knows it’s primarily a center-right country.”
He recalled a moment he shared with Trump, who called the “guys on Wall Street” a “bunch of imbeciles.”
“He said, ‘Well, you’re a social liberal and you’re a fiscal conservative.’ I said, ‘That’s true,’” he shared with podcast host Joanna Coles. “He goes, ‘Yeah, you’re a dummy. You know what my base is?… My base is socially conservative and fiscally liberal.’ He understands his base better than you do, and better than I do, frankly.”
Even still, Scaramucci is holding out hope that the MAGA base Trump has secured will see its influence wane. “My priority is my patriotism. Patriotism and love of country first over partisanship,” he said. “I know how dangerous Donald Trump is. So I would like the Constitution to sustain itself.”
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