As the first presidential debate shifted the political landscape leading up to the Nov. 5 election, former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci weighed in on what’s in store for President Joe Biden.
Critical Few Weeks Ahead: Biden will be out of the race by the end of July, said Scaramucci in the latest episode of the “Rest Is Politics US” podcast aired on Thursday. It’s unlikely the president finishes his term, he said, adding that some people inside the campaign have described the upcoming period as the “most consequential few weeks in American modern history.”
This, according to the former White House aide, implies that “we are going to get a President [Kamala] Harris.“
“The thought would be that he resigns from office and she runs as President Harris,” he said.
Scaramucci highlighted the potential for discomfort among some people, given the racial divide and existing tensions in the country. He added, however, that this development would significantly benefit the Democratic party’s progressive wing, as she would become the first woman president in U.S. history and the first woman of color to hold the office.
Harris’ candidacy: This could also address many campaign finance issues, said the SkyBridge Capital founder, adding that the party can support Harris with a very credible vice-presidential candidate. He noted that Harris’ poll numbers versus Donald Trump are inside the margin of error — at least for now. The Trump campaign is aware of this and, as a result, has been running aggressive attack ads, he said.
Scaramucci said Trump will viciously attack Harris, adding that the current vice president is way better than people think.
“This is a different Kamala Harris, this is a more mature Kamala Harris,” he said. “Interesting it would be if the orange maniac known as Donald Trump was beaten by her in the election …There’s a lot of things about his fragile ego, but that’s one he wouldn’t be able to take.”
Frail Biden: Scaramucci said he attended a Democratic fundraiser where the president looked frail. He explained that while Biden might have been more coherent and clear-headed compared to the first presidential debate, his intellectual insecurity was still evident.
The president seemed to feel comfortable speaking with a teleprompter for 15 minutes and left without taking questions, Scaramucci said.
“That’s a very unusual thing for American politician to do with his VVIPs at a very posh Hampton’s beachfront house, but that’s what he did and it’s an indication that things are not well with him cognitively,” he said.
Why It’s Important: The betting market has begun pricing in the probability of Biden quitting. According to Polymarket, there’s a 16% chance of the president quitting by July 12. Biden is still projected to have 46% chance of being the Democratic nominee compared to Harris’ 37% odds.
A recent CNN poll found that 75% of registered voters said the Democrats' chances in 2024 would be better if the nominee were someone other than Biden. A more significant finding was that Harris was within striking distance of Trump in a hypothetical matchup, with 47% of registered voters supporting Trump and 45% supporting Harris. Since the result was within the margin of error, there was no clear leader under such a scenario.
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