Anthony Scaramucci says everyone in Trump’s orbit hates him

“He probably made me infamous more than famous, but I think weirdly, he gave me a platform to speak out against him,” he says. Ever the savvy entrepreneur, Scaramucci has made the most of that platform. He’s the co-host of The Rest is Politics: US, an American spin-off of the hugely popular British original. Scaramucci thought it would take an hour of his time for a couple of months before last year’s presidential election. Instead, he’s doing about 20 hours a week on the show, which is still going strong. “I think Trump sucks for everything, but he’s great for the podcast,” he tells me. “If [Kamala] Harris won, would the podcast be as popular? Probably not.” My French toast arrives, fluffy and dusted in brown sugar. The Mooch resumes his roasting, and demands the waiter summon a side of butter because “I want him to be in a diabetic coma by the time the interview’s over”. The week before we meet has been another aeon in American politics. The longest government shutdown in US political history ended. More documents concerning the affairs of deceased paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were released. And in Scaramucci’s hometown, 34-year-old Muslim democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani claimed a stunning victory in the New York City mayoral race, sending shock waves through a geriatric, painfully timid Democratic establishment. Mamdani wasn’t Scaramucci’s first pick, but he understands his allure to younger New Yorkers frustrated by escalating housing costs and uninspired by the city’s current leadership. “The Mamdani election is a message from the younger generation. You guys suck, and we would like to try something different,” Scaramucci says. And while the mayor-elect’s populist tax and spend program triggered plenty of bed-wetting about billionaires fleeing the Upper East Side for the likes of West Palm Beach, Scaramucci says the idea that Wall Street will abandon Wall Street is all a bit of bluster. “J.P. Morgan just built a $2.7 billion corporate office. Where are they going? They’re not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere,” he says. Mamdani (who is Ugandan-born and cannot run for president) might be the future in New York, but on the national stage, Scaramucci likes California Governor Gavin Newsom as a top Democratic hopeful for the 2028 presidential race. He describes former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg as exceptionally talented, but worries that the openly gay politician’s sexuality will hurt him in the African American community. “That polling is near zero and again,” he says. Will there even be a new president in 2028? Despite Trump’s constant musing about disregarding the Constitution and seeking a third term, and Congress being, in the Mooch’s words “a bunch of weenies and jellyfishes”, Scaramucci isn’t giving up on American democracy. “Go through the 250-year history of America – we have spasms of self-doubt, then we have reflection, and then we have renewal,” he says. Before that, America must endure another three years under an increasingly erratic president. And a vengeful one. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used the Department of Justice to settle old political scores, with former FBI director James Comey, and New York Attorney-General Letitia James both facing criminal indictments brought against them by prosecutors hand-picked by the president. Does the Mooch fear becoming a target? “I mean, if he’s going to come after me, let him come after me. I’m a big boy,” he says. “But hopefully you and I will build a good rapport. You’ll come visit me in jail.” Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.