Scaramucci criticizes Trump’s reaction to Charlottesville violence

ABC News(NEW YORK) — Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci had harsh words for President Donald Trump’s reaction to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.

Scaramucci spoke to ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC News’ This Week Sunday in his first television interview since his whirlwind 11-day stint in the White House.

“I wouldn’t have recommended that statement,” Scaramucci said of Trump’s words on Saturday from Bedminster, New Jersey. “I think he would have needed to have been much harsher.”

“With the moral authority of the presidency, you have to call that stuff out,” Scaramucci said.

Scaramucci spoke further about the bombastic phone call that he had with New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza, during which he criticized a number of his then-colleagues, including then-chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon. Scaramucci on Sunday said that “for the record, I thought that was off the record.”

He called Lizza’s decision to record the call “a very deceitful thing that he did.”

“Obviously I paid the consequences,” Scaramucci said, later noting that he feels he made “an unforced error.”

When asked if he thought he deserved to be fired, Scaramucci said, “Well, obviously I wished they would’ve given me a bar of soap and told me to wash my mouth out in the bathroom and move on.”

He said that with the addition of retired Gen. John Kelly as the new chief of staff after Priebus’ dismissal, it was “going to be very hard for me to stay in the job.”

“My feeling about the whole thing is that what happened was sort of meant to happen,” he said.

He admitted that he “absolutely” made mistakes, but said he “went in there with my heart and soul.”

Scaramucci is still a supporter of Trump’s, saying that the president “can be a tough coach at times,” but “this guy’s a winner.”

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