Scaramucci: Trump's Playing to His Base With Immigration Rhetoric
*By Carlo Versano*
Anthony Scaramucci, the colorful former adviser to President Trump who was unceremoniously fired after 10 days as White House communications director, said that Trump's latest hard-line immigration rhetoric is a ploy to energize members of his base who otherwise may be complacent and stay home on Election Day.
"This narrow-casting idea may make sense" given that the economy is strong, Scaramucci said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. Trump is hitting the "hot buttons of his base" to get them to vote.
Scaramucci ー who said he's still regularly in touch with the president despite his abrupt departure from a short, but tumultuous tenure in the summer of 2017 ー is promoting a book "Trump, The Blue-Collar President," in which he attempts to explain how, despite the trappings of his public life as a New York billionaire, the president was able to resonate with working-class voters who had strayed from the Democratic party.
"He was born with a golden toilet seat," Scaramucci said. "His apartment looks like Louis XIV decorated it after smoking crystal meth."
And yet, Scaramucci said, his voters don't care.
"It's about him being able to galvanize blue-collar people to his message."
It's a well-worn truism of the last two years that Trump was able to peel off longtime Democratic voters in the Rust Belt who had felt neglected by the party, which had becoming unmoored from its working-class roots. Trump came in ー he "hijacked the Republican party," Scaramucci said ー and built a base that has stuck with him through [thick and thin](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/01/trumps-approval-ratings-so-far-are-unusually-stable-and-deeply-partisan/).
"It's an historic political achievement whether you like the guy or not," Scaramucci said.
His advice to Democrats: "Go back and return to your roots and you'll have a fairer fight with the president in 2020."
But the "Mooch," while generally supportive of Trump, admitted he thought the inflammatory rhetoric and policies around immigration is becoming problematic for the administration's agenda. He blamed a cohort of current and former top White House officials ー Steve Bannon, John Kelly and Kirstjen Nielsen, among them ー that have promulgated the hard-line nationalist strain that Trump has embraced for Election Day.
"I'm not in love with it," said Scaramucci. "A lot of the president's family members are not in love with it."
The book has been [received](https://www.ft.com/content/e1cfca66-de86-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c) by some as a job re-application for a position in the White House, but Scaramucci said he's not interested in that kind of comeback.
"I'm not a big fan of Washington," he said.
"However bad you think these people are ー trust me ー they're way worse."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/scaramucci-on-midterms-washington-and-trump).
Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, joins Cheddar News to discuss the company launching billboards across the country in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Angel Cornelius, Founder & CEO of Maison 276, joins ChedHER to discuss how she created her own beauty solutions right from her kitchen using plant-based, sustainable ingredients and why it's important to celebrate women of all ages and races.
On this episode of ChedHER:PWR WMN Co-Founders discuss how they are building an apparel brand to make women feel confident and powerful; Founder & CEO of Jack & Annie's breaks down the benefits to jackfruit, and how our meat consumption impacts the environment; Founder & CEO of Maison 276 explains how she created her own beauty solutions right from her kitchen using plant-based, sustainable ingredients and why it's important to celebrate women of all ages and races.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 18, 2022, with Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian city of Lviv killing seven, mass shootings in South Carolina and Pittsburgh, Lucky Charms cereal under official investigation by the FDA, and more.
Lisa Whalen, Automotive and Mobility Analyst at Morning Consult, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down the famed auto show's emphasis on electric vehicles this year, reflecting a shift toward electrification in the automotive industry.
On this episode of ChedHER, Amira Rasool, CEO and Founder of The Folklore, discusses her $1.7 million pre-seed funding round and why she's being intentional about the investors she's working with; Brittany Merrill-Yeng, co-founder Skrewball Whiskey, reveals the origins of Skrewball Whisky, experiencing a period of rapid growth, and navigating a male-dominated industry; Suz Hernandez, Owner of MamaP, breaks down how her company is combining eco-friendly and sustainable products with a mission to donate to non-profits that help people and the planet.
On this episode of ChedHER: Founder and CEO of IvyWise discusses how the higher education industry has evolved over the past 20 years; CEO and Founder of Stax Payments breaks down how to get more female founders to break $1 million in revenue; Chief Impact Officer & SVP at The Minneapolis Foundation explains how the foundation is driving action for the greatest civic, social, and economic needs.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: President of The Pillow Bar breaks down how everyone can benefit from a pillow customized to their unique way of sleeping; CEO of H2Pro explains how to bring environmentally friendly hydrogen to scale; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Suppressed Science.'
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Andrea Swift, Chair of NYFA Documentary Department, discusses the documentary filmmaking process and why they remain so important in 2022; Nina Gilden Seavey, Founding Director, The Documentary Center Research at George Washington University, dissects the evolution of documentaries in the streaming age; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Nature Through Her Eyes.'
On this episode of ChedHER: Founder and CEO at Allara Health discusses how she's creating a platform for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS; General Manager of the Run/Train Business Unit at Puma breaks down how Puma is approaching a hybrid work model, and ways to empower women in the workplace; Founder and CEO of Mi Golondrina explains how she's empowering over 600 artisans from Mexico.
