In a podcast that aired on Friday, Donald Trump’s former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci weighed on what would happen to the presidential race if the former president were found guilty in the Manhattan hush-money trial.
Where Trial Stands: The prosecutors’ argument in the hush-money case, which alleges Trump falsified business records to pay adult movie star Stormy Daniels to silence her regarding their alleged sexual affair ahead of the 2016 election, has gone well, Scaramucci said during the “Rest Is Politics US” podcast.
On the other hand, the defense claims Trump didn’t know about it, arguing there is no criminal intent, said the ex-White House aide. Secondly, Trump’s lawyers are attempting to establish that Michael Cohen, who funneled the funds, is lying, he said. They pointed out that Cohen was convicted of perjury and served jail time, arguing that, as an ex-felon, he is unreliable.
Delving into the potential impact of Trump being found guilty in the case, Scaramucci said he sees no significant impact. He doesn’t believe Trump would be arrested and put in jail for this, but the ex-president could potentially face some form of home confinement while wearing an ankle bracelet, possibly for a week, two weeks, or at most a month.
“The Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals are not going to let the former president of United States go to jail,” he said.
The trial outcome is a total and complete non-event for the campaign, Scaramucci said. He added that, in reality, the trial itself has marginally helped Trump in fundraising, as the former president has appealed for finances by portraying himself as a victim and stating that “they are using the criminal procedure system to attack me as a form of war in a presidential political campaign.”
Scaramucci said he sees an increased possibility of a hung jury in the case.
“The most likely scenario is that we have a hung jury. There’s one ‘Make America Great Again’ passionate Trump cult that’s not going to budge on the jury and the jury is hung,” he said.
Scaramucci also said the country has the attention span of a “fruit fly.”
‘It’s going to be way in the rearview mirror and all the implications of that innocent or guilty, come Election Day,” he said of the trial.
Greater Threat: According to Scaramucci, Trump’s fixer Cohen won’t be the one who does the most damage.
“I think Mike Pence is going to be the guy that does the most damage,” he said.
“Mike Pence was told to use this cockamamie procedural thing at the Electoral College vote … Mike Pence was pushed by Trump to do something procedurally illegal to assert a cause for President Trump unconstitutionally to stay in power.”
Scaramucci noted that Pence didn’t want to do that, and there was a premeditated insurrection at the Capitol, with violence occurring at the steps of — and inside — the building. The former vice president felt like his life was threatened by Trump supporters, he added.
“There are two Michaels here Michael Cohen and Michael Pence, Mike Pence is going to do more damage to Donald Trump,” he said.
Scaramucci also noted that Pence has since denounced Trump, stating that under no circumstances would he endorse the former president. Additionally, the former vice president has reportedly rallied 40 people who worked closely with Trump in his inner circle, according to Scaramucci.
“Mike Pence will be the ring leader of those people to explain the danger of Donald Trump. So this mistake of Trump by being asymmetrically loyal, expecting loyalty one way, dishing and transacting with everybody negatively if they’re not in the moment going 13 for 10 for Donald Trump, this wreckage is going to come back to haunt him come November,” Scaramucci said.
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