CNBC’s Joe Kernen sparred with Anthony Scaramucci on Friday after the former White House communications director knocked Donald Trump, his onetime boss, for using “threatening” rhetoric about political foes.
On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Scaramucci — who had just a dayslong stint in Trump’s White House in 2017 — said he didn’t like the “coarseness” displayed by Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign.
Kernen responded by saying that “the rhetoric got heated everywhere” and that Scaramucci himself “got pretty heated” on occasion, a claim that seemingly baffled the frequent Trump critic.
“How did I get heated? What did I say, Joe?” Scaramucci asked.
“Anthony, you have had an utter disdain for Trump. You’ll always be welcome at the table of legacy media and have people nodding as you trash Trump,” Kernen told him.
“But aren’t you the slightest bit embarrassed or at least humbled about how wrong you were about the feeling of most Americans?” Kernen asked, pointing to Scaramucci “enthusiastically supporting a candidate who a majority of people” did not want in the Oval Office.
Scaramucci previously backed the 2020 presidential campaign of Democrat Joe Biden — who has seen low favorability ratings this year — and recently supported Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed bid to succeed him.
Kernen described Harris’ policies as “anathema” to what Scaramucci, a Republican, has believed his “whole life.”
“Do you ever eat any crow? Not even a little crow wing, like a little capon?” he said.
Later in his CNBC appearance, Scaramucci sarcastically asked if Kernen wanted him to “get on bended knee” and said that they have a “violent disagreement” on Trump’s personality.
“You like Trump,” Scaramucci said. “I got to see the ugliest of what he is.”
“He’s been very good for your career,” Kernen interjected. “You’re here, are you not? And you’re going to be welcome anywhere you want to go.”
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