>>> WELCOME BACK. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
BROKEN RECORDS FOR TURNOVER
AMONG STAFFERS.
AMONG STAFFERS. JUST THIS WEEK DON McGAHN LEFT
HIS JOB.
HIS JOB. ALREADY THE WHITE HOUSE IS ON
ITS SECOND CHIEF OF STAFF, ITS
THIRD NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER,
AND ITS FIFTH COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. THE PERSON WITH ME MOST NOTE
WORTHY AND SHORTEST STINT IN THE
WEST WING IS ONE OF THOSE FIVE,
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, WHO LED THE
WHITE HOUSE MEDIA SHOP FOR 11
DAYS.
DAYS. HE’S OUT WITH A NEW BOOK ABOUT
HIS TIME IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
ORBIT, PARTICULARLY BEFORE HE
BECAME PRESIDENT.
BECAME PRESIDENT. "TRUMP, THE BLUE CAR PRESIDENT".
WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS".
>> HAPPY SUNDAY.
>> THE TIMING OF YOUR BOOK
COMING OUT COMES AS WE GOT
REPORTS OF A SCREAMING MATCH
BETWEEN A FORMER BOSS OF YOURS,
JOHN KELLY, CURRENT CHIEF OF
STAFF, THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER JOHN BOL TON OVERTON OVE
ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION.
ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, IT WAS
OVER COMMENTS THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER MADE TO THE
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
JOHN KELLY APPARENTLY WALKED OUT
FURIOUS.
FURIOUS. THERE WAS RUMORS OF POTENTIAL
RESIGNATIONS.
RESIGNATIONS. HOW PHAM WASFAMILIAR WAS THAT SC
YOU?
YOU? >> WAS THERE ANY PROFANITY?
>> PROBABLE SOME PROFANITY.
>> REALLY, IT’S NOT THAT
FAMILIAR TO ME.
MY INCIDENT WAS ON A PHONE LINE
WITH A REPORT WHERE I SHOULDN’T
HAVE TRUSTED AND SO THAT’S MY
FAULT AND I TOTALLY OWN THAT.
BUT I THINK THE MORE RELEVANT
THING IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE
PLAYING LIKE THE NFL, VERBAL
CONTACT.
CONTACT. PEOPLE ARE PLAYING HARD FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN
THAT SPECIFIC INCIDENT, BUT I
KNOW THAT THE WEST WING AND THE
WAY THE PRESIDENT SET UP THE
WEST WING, IT’S TOUGH IF THERE
FOR PEOPLE.
FOR PEOPLE. >> YOU WERE PRETTY TOUGH ON
GENERAL KELLY IN YOUR BOOK.
THE GENERAL’S STYLE WOULD BE IN
DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE WAY MR.
TRUMP CONDUCTED BUSINESS.
HE DOESN’T WORK IN A PRECISE
WAY.
WAY. NEVER HAS, NEVER WILL.
IT’S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE HE
BECAME CHIEF OF STAFF BUT MY
SCOUTING REPORT BECAME QUITE
ACCURATE.
ACCURATE. >> I THINK THAT’S PRETTY
SELF-EVIDENT.
SELF-EVIDENT. EVEN THIS PAST WEEK, I APPLAUD
THE GENERAL’S SERVICE TO THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. OBVIOUSLY 40 YEARS IN THE U.S.
MARINE CORP.
MARINE CORP. THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT JOB.
THIS IS A CIVILIAN BASED JOB AND
I THINK HE’S TRIED TO APPLY
MILITARY-LIKE MANAGEMENT STYLE
TO A GROUP OF CIVILIANS.
THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY WORK.
AND BY THE WAY, THE PRESIDENT
HAS A FREE WHEELING STYLE VERY
DIFFERENT FROM JOHN KELLY.
>> YOU SEEM PRETTY UPSET AT HIM.
>> HE DIDN’T NEED TO FIRE ME THE
WAY HE FIRED ME, AND I HAD THIS
CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> HE COULD HAVE DONE IT IN A
DIFFERENT MANNER?
DIFFERENT MANNER? >> TOTALLY.
>> TOTALLY. I RAISED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
MONEY AND DID COUNTLESS HOURS IN
THE CAMPAIGN AND EVEN AFTER THE
PRESIDENT WAS INAUGURATE RATED.D
HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE A
SPECTACLE OUT OF IT AND HE GOT
WHAT HE WANTED.
I WRITE ABOUT IN THE BOOK WHAT I
THOUGHT WAS AN HONEST ASSESSMENT
OF HIM.
OF HIM. >> SHOULD THE PRESIDENT HAVE THE
CHIEF OF STAFF GIVEN THE WAY HE
LIKES TO WORK?
>> I THINK HE NEEDS A CHIEF OF
STAFF BUT HE NEEDS ONE THAT
LIKES HIM AND GETS HIS
PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY. >> YOU DON’T THINK JOHN KELLY
LIKE THE PRESIDENT?
>> DO YOU?
>> I DON’T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY.
>> I TRAVEL AROUND THE QUESTION
AND I ASK PEOPLE THAT RETOR RALH
QUESTION.
QUESTION. IT DOESN’T COME ACROSS LIKE HE
DOES.
DOES. THE BOB WOODWARD, HE SEEMS LIKE
AN ACCURATE JOURNALIST.
I DON’T LIKE JOHN KELLY CALLING
THE PRESIDENT THE THINGS HE’S
CALLED HIM.
CALLED HIM. FOR ME I HAVE NO PROBLEM
STANDING UP FOR MYSELF OR
TELLING YOU WHAT I THINK ABOUT
JOHN KELLY OR THE SITUATION WITH
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. HAVING SAID, THAT I APPLAUD THE
GUY’S SERVICE, BUT IT’S NOT JUST
ME, CHUCK.
ME, CHUCK. HE HURT THE MORALE INSIDE THE
PLACE.
PLACE. HE’S HURT THE PRESIDENT.
AND HE HAS HISSY FITS.
HE LEFT LAST WEEK AFTER THE
REPORT THAT HE HAD WITH
AMBASSADOR BOLTON.
AMBASSADOR BOLTON. THAT’S HIS PERSONALITY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS I’M BEING
VINDICATED BY THAT BECAUSE HE’S
DEMONSTRATING HIS PERSONAL THE
WAY HE REALLY IS.
>> YOU’VE INTERACTED WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. AS CANDIDATE TRUMP YOU WEREN’T
QUITE ON BOARD AT FIRST WITH THE
IDEA OF HIM BEING PRESIDENT.
YOU HAD OTHER CANDIDATES YOU
WERE INTERESTED IN.
YOU WERE FORMERLY WITH SCOTT
WALKER.
WALKER. WHAT FINALLY CONVINCED YOU THAT
DONALD TRUMP HAD WHAT IT TOOK?
>> I MET WITH THE PRESIDENT THE
DAY AFTER "THE APPRENTICE" FEY
FINALE.
FINALE. WE WERE JOKING ABOUT HIM BEING
PRESIDENT AND I DIDN’T BELIEVE
HIM.
HIM. WHEN I EXPLAINED MY LOYALTIES
WERE TO SCOTT WALKER AND JEB
BUSH, HE THEN SAID AFTER I CLEAN
THEIR CLOCKS, WILL YOU COME WORK
FOR ME AND I SAID ABSOLUTELY.
SO AFTER THE SOUTH CAROLINA
PRIMARY I WENT TO THE
PRESIDENT’S OFFICE WITH SENATOR
SCOTT BROWN, WHO WAS A FRIEND OF
MINE, WE WENT OCCUPY THERE
TOGETHER AND WE HAD A GREAT
CONVERSATION AND WE BEGAN
BUILDING THE BLOCK FOR THE
FINANCING OPERATION.
FINANCING OPERATION. THEN WHEN HE BROUGHT IN STEVE
MNUCHIN, THINGS REALLY STARTED
TO KICK IN.
>> WATCHING A BUNCH OF DEMOCRATS
THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO RUN
AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP IN 2020,
WE’VE SEEN DIFFERENT POTENTIAL
CANDIDATES TRYING TO GO AFTER
HIM IN DIFFERENT WAYS, MICHAEL
AVENATTI IS SOMEONE WHO I THINK
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT
THE TWO OF YOU TOGETHER FOR SOME
SORT OF TALK SHOW, HE’S TRIED TO
GO AT HIM DIRECTLY.
ELIZABETH WARREN RESPONDED TO
SOME OF THE CRITICISM, THE CRAZY
NICKNAME STUFF MORE FORMALLY.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO AFTER
PRESIDENT TRUMP?
PRESIDENT TRUMP? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A
DEMOCRAT AND HOW DO YOU GO AFTER
HIS INSULTS?
HIS INSULTS? >> AS YOU KNOW, I REALLY CARE
FOR THE PRESIDENT AND I’M A BIG
SUPPORTER, SO I DON’T LIKE
GIVING THEM ADVICE.
I THINK THEY GO INTO THE TRUMP
INSECT TWITTER LIKE, SO THE
MINUTE HE SHOOTS AT THEM THEY
CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES AND THEY
GET VAPORIZED.
GET VAPORIZED. SENATOR WARREN SHOULD READ MY
BOOK SO SHE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW
THE PRESIDENT -- YOU HAVE TO
THINK OF WHAT HE DID.
HE HIJACKED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
TO GET THE NOMINATION AND
HIJACKED THE BASE OF THE OTHER
PARTY AND MOVED IT OVER TO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AND I TRY TO
WRITE ABOUT THAT.
I GREW UP IN A BLUE COLLAR
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A BLUE COLLAR
FAMILY AND I’VE SEEN THE WHOLE
BAND WIDTH.
BAND WIDTH. MY RECOMMENDATION TO PEOPLE IS
DON’T ENGAGE HIM IN THAT AREA
BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE.
HE’S JUST WAY MORE TALENTED THAN
YOU IN THAT AREA.
>> YOU SAID YOU AND YOUR TEAM
ARE STILL GOING TO GO TO THE
SAUDI ARABIA FINANCE CONFERENCE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> IS THAT STILL YOUR FINANCIAL
ANSWER?
ANSWER? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. LISTEN, SKYBRIDGE IS NOT A
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. >> WHY GIVE ANY AMERICAN
CREDIBILITY TO THEM RIGHT NOW?
>> I’M NOT TRYING TO GIVE THEM
CREDIBILITY.
CREDIBILITY. I HAVE A TON OF BUSINESS IN
SAUDI ARABIA UNRELLEDATED TO THE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. I’M A PRETTY BIG DELEGATE OR AND
I LET THOSE GUYS MAKE THE
DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO
GO.
GO. HE’S VISITING WITH PEOPLE NOT
RELATED TO THE GOVERNMENT.
THOSE WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED.
HE SUGGESTED TO ME TO ALLOW HIM
TO GO.
TO GO. I’M A BIG DELEGATE OR.
>> SO YOU’RE COMFORTABLE WITH
THIS STILL?
THIS STILL? >> I’M COMFORTABLE WITH HIM
GOING.
GOING. I’M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT