‘He only cares about himself’: Anthony Scaramucci on why former Trump officials are backing Harris

>>> YOU PLAYED PENCE FOR HARRIS' DEBATE PREP IN 2020. >> WHAT I SAW, FIRST OF ALL, THIS INTELLECT. SHE'S VERY SMART. I THINK PEOPLE WHO SEE HER KNOW THAT. YOU SEE IT AND IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE. [ APPLAUSE ] BUT ALSO THAT THAT INTELLECT IS MATCHED WITH CURIOSITY. WHENEVER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT STATISTICS OR THINGS THAT SHE MIGHT BRING UP SHE WAS ALWAYS PRESSING US FOR MORE, BUT NOT JUST DETAIL FOR ITS OWN STAKE BECAUSE SHE WAS PRESSING US TO SAY HOW WILL THIS RELATE TO SOMEONE'S LIFE AND THEY'RE WATCHING US AT HOME AND THERE'S A POWERFUL INTELLECT, OBVIOUSLY AND THE SENSE OF CURIOSITY AND THE FOCUS WHICH IS WHAT ALSO MADE HER SUCH AN EFFECTIVE PROSECUTOR. >>> HI, AGAIN, EVERYBODY. IT'S 5:00 IN NEW YORK AND WE ARE NOW HOUR AWAY FROM TONIGHT'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. THE FIRST AND ONLY FACE-TO-FACE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND EX-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TAKING PLACE TONIGHT IN PHILADELPHIA, BUT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL POLITICAL DEBATE BECAUSE IT IS ONE IN WHICH BOTH CANDIDATES DON'T SHARE OR ADHERE TO THE SAME REALITY AND TRUMP CAN'T ADHERE TO THE FACTS OR THE TRUTH OR COVID OR ANYTHING. WE'VE SEEN HIM LIE SO BOLDLY FOR NINE YEARS NOW AND WE CANNOT BECOME NUMB TO THAT AS HARRIS WILL PREPARE FOR THE UNTRUTHS THAT YOU'LL HEAR DURING TONIGHT'S DEBATE. WE ALSO CANNOT BECOME NUMB TO THE WARNING UPON WARNING UPON WARNING THAT WE'VE SEEN PUBLICLY NOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO WORK FOR DONALD TRUMP IN HIS FIRST TERM AS PRESIDENT, PEOPLE WHO KNOW HIS TRUE CHARACTER AND ABILITIES OR LACK THEREOF. THAT'S YET HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS DEPLOYING TWO FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS AS GUESTS, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI AND OLIVIA TROY. HEARING FROM THEM IS LIKE HEARING FROM A REFERENCE FROM A JOB APPLICANT AND IT'S WHY WE SHOWED YOU FROM PETE BUTTIGIEG AT THE TOP AND HE'S SOMEONE THAT SAW VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IN DEBATE PREP AND HE'S WORKED ALONGSIDE HER IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS MEANWHILE, THOSE WH WORKED WITH DONALD TRUMP IN HIS TIME IN OFFICE VIEW HIM DIFFERENTLY. SCARAMUCCI AND TROY, AND HIGH-RANKING TOP OFFICIALS HAVE COME OUT TO TELL THE COUNTRY THAT TRUMP IS UNFIT TO EVER SERVE AGAIN. THEIR ACCOUNTS ARE THE FOCUS OF A NEW HARRIS CAMPAIGN AD WE TOLD YOU ABOUT YESTERDAY TO REALLY KNOW HOW SOMEONE WILL DO IN A JOB LISTEN DIRECTLY TO THOSE WHO SAW HIM IN ACTION. >> IN 2016 DONALD TRUMP SAID HE WOULD CHOOSE ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE TO WORK IN HIS WHITE HOUSE. NOW THOSE PEOPLE HAVE A WARNING FOR AMERICA. TRUMP IS NOT FIT TO BE PRESIDENT AGAIN. HERE IS HIS VICE PRESIDENT. >> ANYONE WHO PUTS HIMSELF OVER THE CONSTITUTION SHOULD NEVER BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THEY WILL NOT BE ENDORSING DONALD TRUMP THIS YEAR. >> HIS DEFENSE SECRETARY. >> DO YOU THINK TRUMP CAN BE TRUSTED WITH THE NATION'S SECRETS EVER AGAIN? >> NO. IT'S JUST IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION THAT PLACES OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AT RISK AND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY RISK. >> HIS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. >> DONALD TRUMP WILL CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE. THE ONLY THING HE CARES ABOUT IS DONALD TRUMP. >> AND THE NATION'S HIGHEST-RANKING MILITARY OFFICER. >> WE DON'T TAKE AN OATH TO A KING OR QUEEN OR A TYRANT OR DICTATOR, AND WE DON'T TAKE AN OATH TO A WANNA BE DICTATOR. >> TAKE IT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM BEST. DONALD TRUMP IS A DANGER TO OUR TROOPS AND OUR DEMOCRACY. WE CAN'T LET HIM LEAD OUR COUNTRY AGAIN. >> I'M KAMALA HARRIS, AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE. >> AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S DEBATE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AND HOST OF THE OPEN BOOK PODCAST ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI ONE OF THE FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS AS A SURROGATE FOR THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN. ALSO JOINING US AS THE MSNBC'S 2024 PODCAST CLAIRE McCASKILL IS BACK AND CHIEF POLITICAL COLUMNIST MSNBC NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST IS HERE. ANTHONY, I WANT TO START WITH YOU AND I'M JEALOUS THAT YOU'RE ALL TOGETHER AND WE'RE ALL BACK HERE, BUT YOUR ARGUMENT ABOUT TRUMP IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MAKING FOR YEARS NOW AND SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO YOU'VE SUGGESTED SAW WHAT YOU SAW AND WOULD BE WILLING TO WARN THE COUNTRY HAVE COME OUT. DO YOU EXPECT A FLOODGATE OPENING OF ADDITIONAL WARNINGS BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY? >> WELL, I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE, BUT I THINK AS YOU KNOW, NICOLE, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT. HE'S PUT TOGETHER AN ENEMIES' LIST. HE'S TOLD MEME THAT HE'LL HAVE TREASON TRIBUNALS AND JUST IMAGINE THAT IN ONE OF THE FREEST NATIONS IN HISTORY THAT WE HAVE ONE CANDIDATE THAT WANTS TO TAKE AWAY YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS BY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST HIM AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INTIMIDATED BY THAT. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'VE GOT ENOUGH PEOPLE NOW THAT ARE SENDING A WARNING MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> ANTHONY, WHAT DO YOU THINK SORT OF THE THREE LEGS STILL HOLDING HIM UP ARE? WHAT HOLDS UP HIS SUPPORT? HE'S BEHIND HARRIS ABOUT THREE POINTS NATIONALLY ACCORDING TO MATT DOWD, A VERY ACCOMPLISHED POLLSTER. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING HIM UP AND WHAT DO YOU THINK KNOCKS ONE OF THOSE THREE LEGS OUT? >> WELL, I THINK TONIGHT WILL BE A BIG DEAL. I THINK THE VICE PRESIDENT WILL CONTRAST HERSELF. THE REALISM OF HER AND THE CAN-DO EXECUTION NATURE TO HER PERSONALITY VERSUS THE SORT OF DISCOMBOBULATION AND THE UNCERTAINTY AND WE NEED TO SEE THE FULL NARRATIVE OF VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, AND I'LL MAKE A PREDICTION HERE. THIS IS SAY LOT LIKE THE REAGAN ELECTION IN 1990. THE POLLS ARE VERY TIGHT. THE NARRATIVES EMERGED AND I THINK THE VICE PRESIDENT DID A GREAT JOB TONIGHT AND ONCE THAT NARRATIVE EMERGES YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OR TAKE A WIDE LEAD OVER FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HASN'T SORT OF SETTLED IN YET IS THAT SHE NOW IS THE CANDIDATE WHO REPRESENTS THE VISION FOR THIS COUNTRY AS EMBODIED BY BERNIE SANDERS AND DICK CHENEY. HOW DO YOU -- HOW DO YOU SORT OF TAKE THAT TO THE COUNTRY? >> WELL, LISTEN, I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE PEOPLE WHETHER YOU DISAGREE WIT THEIR POLICIES AND SOMEONE MAY DISAGREE WITH BOTH OF THEM, FRANKLY, THEY BOTH LOVE THEIR COUNTRY. THEY'RE SITTING HERE WITH TWO CHOICES AND THEY SEE HER AS THE CHOICE IT TAKE AMERICA INTO THE FUTURE. THEY SEE HIM AS VERY DIVISIVE, SOMEBODY THAT WILL DISENGAGE US FROM OUR ALLIES, SOMEBODY THAT WILL PUT HURT ON HIS FELLOW AMERICANS AND AS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THE ADS, I THINK IT WAS JOHN BOLTON. HE ONLY REALLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF. HE'S NOT HERE TO SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. SO I THINK VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY AND SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS SEE WITH GREAT CLARITY THE REALITY OF THIS. SHE IS THE PERSON DEDICATED TO SERVICE. HE'S THE PERSON THAT'S DEDICATED TO SELF-SERVICE AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL WITH HER. >> YOU HAVE BEEN AN EYEWITNESS TO HIS DISDAIN FOR THE MILITARY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST TIME YOU WERE ON THIS SHOW. SINCE THEN, ARLINGTON HAPPENED. WHY, IN YOUR VIEW, HAVEN'T MORE PEOPLE SPOKEN OUT ABOUT HOW HE USES TROOPS AS PROPS? >> WELL, A LOT -- A LOT OF THE MILITARY LEADERS INCLUDING H.R. McMASTER WHO I'VE SEEN ON THE MSNBC AIR AND WROTE A GREAT BOOK WHICH IS A WARNING SIGN ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP, THEY FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO SEPARATE THE MILITARY FROM THE CIVILIAN POLITICAL PROCESS, AND SO I THINK IT'S HARD FOR THEM. WE TRIED TO PUSH THEM BACK IN 2020. THEY SAID NO. THESE ARE PEOPLE LIKE GENERAL KELLY, A PERSONAL FRIEND OR SECRETARY MATTIS, BUT THEY'VE MADE STATEMENTS. THEY'VE MADE STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS, AND THEY'VE BEEN ON THE RECORD AND GENERAL KELLY DID HEAR THE SUCKERS AND LOSERS COMMENT AND GENERAL KELLY HIMSELF IS A GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBER, HIM AND HIS WIFE KAREN, AND SO IT'S QUITE DISHEARTENING TO HEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP TALK LIKE THAT, AND I THINK THAT MESSAGE IS RESONATING. I THINK THERE'S A REASON WHY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IS UP IN THE POLLS. IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, BUT I THINK TONIGHT IS THE BREAKOUT OPPORTUNITY FOR HER, AND I WOULD IMAGINE SHE'S GOING TO GO UP BIG AND STAY UP BIG UNTIL WE GET TO ELECTION DAY. >> SHE'S ALSO HAD A LOT OF ENDORSEMENTS SINCE THE LAST TIME I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU FROM BUSINESS LEADERS. JUST TALK ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF HER SUPPORT IN THOSE CIRCLES WHICH YOU KNOW WELL. >> WELL, THERE'S 85 FORTUNE 500 BUSINESS LEADERS THAT HAVE CAME OUT COLLECTIVELY AND ENDORSED VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS. SHE HAS A BROAD BASE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ENTREPRENEURS LIKE MYSELF THAT ARE ALSO ENDORSING HER, AND I THINK THE MESSAGE IS WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK ECONOMICALLY. INFLATION IS DOWN. WE ARE DOING THINGS FOR MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE A GREAT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. WE'RE MAKING MICROPROCESSORS HERE IN THIS COUNTRY AND WE'RE REBUILDING BRIDGES, ROADS AND TUNNELS AND REDUCING INFLATION BECAUSE OF THE COST OF TRANSIT OVER THE COUNTRY OVER THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I THINK PEOPLE WANT CONTINUITY IN THEIR MESSAGING, AND THEY KNOW THAT SHE'S PRO-GROWTH. GOLDMAN SACHS, MY FORMER EMPLOYER WHERE I SPENT SEVEN YEARS OUT OF THERE COMING OUT OF LAW SCHOOL. THEY CONTRASTED THESE ECONOMIC PLANS AND THEY WERE RESOUNDINGLY AND OBJECTIVELY NON-PARTISAN OBJECTIVELY IN FAVOR OF HER PLAN, MORE JOBS, BETTER GROWTH, HIGHER INCOME FOR MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR BEING THERE TONIGHT DOES TO DONALD TRUMP? >> WELL, LISTEN, I THINK HE KNOWS THAT THE GIG IS UP. I THINK HE'S GETTING PAINTED INTO THE CORNER. I THINK HE KNOWS THERE'S AN IMPENDING SENTENCING IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. I THINK HE KNOWS HE'S DOWN AND HE'S BEHIND IN THE POLLS THAT'S WHY HE'S LURCHING FOR GREATER PUBLICITY, SAYING MORE OUTLANDISH THINGS. I MEAN, NICOLE, THE NEXT TIME I TALK TO YOU I MAY BE IN JAIL BECAUSE I'M A VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS DONOR AND HE SAID LAST WEEK HE'LL JAIL PEOPLE THAT DONATED TO HER CAMPAIGN. THIS IS ALL OF THIS CRAZY, ILLOGICAL ATTENTION-SEEKING BY HIM BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT HE'S UP AGAINST IT. HE HAS VERY GOOD POLITICAL INSTINCTS AND HE KNOWS SHE'S BUILDING AN OBAMA-LIKE COALITION TO VICTORY, AND SENATOR McCASKILL AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT REG