Before his sudden departure as communications adviser on July 31, Anthony Scaramucci implied in an interview that Mike Pence’s new chief of staff was hired to protect the vice president from the political turmoil roiling the Trump administration, perhaps to set up a bid for the presidency in 2020.
In an interview with the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza — the very same interview in which the Mooch said White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s self-regard was comparable to a stunning feat of bodily gymnastics — Scaramucci called attention to the man Pence announced as his new chief of staff on June 29, Nick Ayers.
“Why do you think Nick’s there, bro?” Scaramucci asked Lizza, referring to Ayers.
“Are you stupid?” Scaramucci continued. “Why is Nick there? Nick’s there to protect the vice president because the vice president can’t believe what the fuck is going on.”
Lizza published the quotes on Tuesday.
Ayers, a longtime political operative but a novice in government, was mentioned in a recent New York Times profile on Republicans — Pence, principally — who have engaged in what the Times called “a shadow campaign for 2020.”
“Mr. Ayers has signaled to multiple major Republican donors that Mr. Pence wants to be ready” for a potential presidential bid, the Times reported.
Pence slammed the New York Times’ reporting.
But Scaramucci’s quote to Lizza — and Scaramucci’s post-facto claims that he incorrectly believed the interview was off-the-record — lends some credence to the claim that Ayers’ presence in the White House is motivated at least partly by Pence’s political ambitions.
Scaramucci did not respond to Lizza’s requests for comment, so the reporter reflected on the comment with an open question: “Was Scaramucci suggesting that Ayers was meant to protect Pence from the fallout if and when Trump collapses politically, resigns, decides not to run for reelection, or is impeached?”
No one over 50 should ever use the word “bro” in a sentence. What a LonGUYland douche.
Pence “can’t believe what the f*@&'s going on.” How in the world could Mike Pence possibly by surprised by what’s going on? How could anyone with even a marginally functioning brain not have expected something more or less identical to what’s going on now, even from well before Pence accepted the VP nomination? Further proof, in addition to his failed stint as Indiana governor, that in the end, Pence is really kind of a moron.
Have fun in 2020, asshole
When Rump finally collapses, no one will be able to help Pence. No one. He’ll be up to his eyeballs in Russian collusion and any “spinning” of the fact will fall on deaf ears.
Pence: Wrong!. I know whats going on.Very soon, I will be POTUS for a very, very long time.