Anthony Scaramucci on why he stood by Trump: ‘He was going to win’

ABC News(NEW YORK) — Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci defended his decision to stand by President Donald Trump after his many controversial statements on the campaign trail.

Scaramucci told the co-hosts of “The View” he stood by Trump during the election because “he was going to win — I saw that.”

Scaramucci was fired 11 days after the announcement of his appointment as communications director, at the advice of the incoming White House chief of staff John Kelly — who joined the administration only days earlier. Former press secretary Sean Spicer announced his resignation on the same day Scaramucci was appointed.

Scaramucci explained he first realized Trump would win when he attended the campaign’s first fundraiser in May 2016.

“I went into the audience and started shaking hands with the people,” Scaramucci said. “People were desperate.”

“I’m going one person to the next, and it’s dawning on me — oh my god. The country is separating like in 1890 and 1912.”

Scaramucci was referring to two presidential election cycles where a powerful third party emerged as a result of polarized differences in political beliefs in America — in 1890, the Populist Party emerged as a result of economic strife, and in 1912, Democrat Woodrow Wilson beat Theodore Roosevelt with the Progressive Party.

“I knew he was going to win!” Scaramucci said. “I said … if I can somehow help incrementally, whatever the flaws are of this man … I wanna be there as an American patriot to try and help him!”

When asked if Scaramucci would consider himself “complicit” in the president’s wrongdoings, he said: “I would say that I’m not. I don’t agree with everything that he says.”

Among his disagreements with Trump, Scaramucci listed his “15 years” working for marriage equality.

Scaramucci concluded his reasoning with a call for unity in America.

“We are polarized and we are killing each other,” Scaramucci said. “Whether you like the president or you don’t … we gotta meet somewhere in the middle to get things done for the American people — we have to do it!”

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