On Wednesday 5 February, the Journalism Society hosted Anthony Scaramucci. Mr Scaramucci is the founder of Skybridge Capital and former White House Director of Communications, a position he held during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. He spoke for around ten minutes and then opened the floor to questions from the audience.
He began his talk by challenging us to think about how we deal with the truth and the importance of doing so effectively. He referred to the Iliad and the story of Cassandra who possessed all the knowledge in the world but was cursed never to be believed. This, he explained, was Homer’s way of illustrating that people often reject the truth. Mr Scaramucci went on to argue that addressing the truth as early as possible is essential for a happy life. This led to a discussion on egos and decision-making, as he reflected on how he had previously allowed his ego to dictate his decisions—something he asserted is incompatible with true happiness.
The first question from the audience concerned President Trump and whether Scaramucci felt he would follow up on some of the promises made during his first term that did not come to fruition. Mr Scaramucci explained that Trump had not expected to win in 2016 and so he had assembled his group of advisors who were primarily “Washingtonians”— individuals with great political knowledge who were able to keep him in check regarding the constitutional legality of his proposals. The difference now, he said, is that after four years of preparation, President Trump’s advisors are industry leaders with less political experience. According to Mr Scaramucci, this shift means that President Trump will be better positioned to implement his policies than before. He also stressed that President Trump now has the backing of powerful individuals like Elon Musk, whose influence will be greater than ever before.
Mr Scaramucci was then asked what he would have done differently had he overseen Kamala Harris’ campaign. He said that she had been too cautious and that he would have encouraged her to have engaged more with the public. He highlighted podcasts as a particularly effective platform, citing Trump’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience as an example and also suggested that more appearances, on programmes like Fox News would have helped to expand her reach. Mr Scaramucci also pointed out that Donald Trump was the most famous person in the world during the election while Kamala Harris just wasn’t known by enough people in comparison. Additionally, he noted that Harris’s assertion that she would not do anything differently from Former President Joe Biden was a mistake, adding that there was an essential need for her to separate herself from him in order to win.
Someone then asked why the Democratic Party had become seemingly incompetent. Mr Scaramucci argued this was a result of a butterfly effect of small, poor decisions rather than a sudden decline. One such decision, he said, was advising a younger Joe Biden not to run against Trump in the 2016 election. He argued that Biden could very well have won that race and this would have extinguished the ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) movement entirely. He also observed the lack of turnover during the Biden administration which was a sign to many that he wasn’t the one making the decisions. This, he argued, meant that the decision-makers wanted to keep their jobs and therefore wanted Biden to stay in office thus, in his opinion, ignoring the truth.
In conclusion, Anthony Scaramucci’s talk offered a candid reflection on truth, leadership, and the challenges facing modern politics. From his insights into Trump’s evolving strategy and the importance of effective campaign communication to his critique of the Democrats’ decision-making, Mr Scaramucci provided a thought-provoking perspective on the dynamics shaping today’s political landscape. His emphasis on confronting truth early and prioritising authenticity served as a valuable takeaway for the audience.
