Conservative commentator and former Bush White House speechwriter David Frum is clearly no fan of Anthony Scaramucci. Frum has been anti-Trump for quite a while, earning him praise with the #Resistance despite his questionable past, but it really comes through here as he coaxes “The Mooch” out of the mild-mannered television version of Anthony Scaramucci.
Scaramucci almost seems docile and level-headed when he first arrives onto the Real Time set for a friendly chat with Bill Maher. They joke about Donald Trump‘s lawsuit against Maher for claiming he is the “spawn of his mother having sex with orangutan,” and he even has a nice rapport going with fellow guest Donna Brazile. But then Frum gets personal:
“I have a question for you. Before you went into government, you received an enormous offer from a Chinese group, for the purchase of your company, $90 million, and after you came out the purchasers lost interest. How am I to understand that?”
As Scaramucci protested that the question was “factually inaccurate” and started to explain something about Treasury Department approval, Maher tossed him a lifeline and said, “Okay, this is a different show…nobody knows what you’re talking about and nobody cares.”
The Mooch would let go of the bone. “It’s a set-up question,” he continued, despite Maher’s attempts to steer the course. “He’s trying to suggest that they were buying into the lobbying…I curse a lot but I don’t curse on TV but that’s b.s.”
From there it is downhill throughout the rest of the interview and into the “Overtime” segment posted on YouTube. Maher likens Scaramucci to “quiet killer” Michael Corleone and he’s not far off. Frum’s decision to get serious and personal flipped that “Trump” switch in Scaramucci and “The Mooch” took over.
It is still disappointing in the end because most people expect the guy we’re reading about in interviews saying Steve Bannon tried to suck his own “c*ck,” something Maher brings up after Scaramucci claims he doesn’t curse on TV. We never get that close, though he does continue with Frum in “Overtime” according to Deadline:
“Your anger toward Trump is clouding your judgment, by the way,” he said. “A good anger management class would help you think a little more clearly.”
Responded Frum, “Don’t let anger cloud your judgment – but don’t let your ambitions cloud your judgment.”
“What does that even mean?” said Scaramucci. “You talking about my ambition? I’d already lived a great life. I went in there to try to serve the country and help the middle- and lower-class people that are struggling in this country.
“You gotta wake up, brother,” he continued at Frum. “You’re living in an ivory tower. Snap out of it. Drop the anger.” Then, after suggesting a suppository, he said, “You’re, like, a mean guy.”
“I’m not a weak guy,” said Frum.
“You’re mean, and you’re angry,” said the Mooch.
You can watch the full segment below. It isn’t anywhere near the appearances by Tomi Lahren or Milo Yiannopoulos, but it does have its moments.
UPDATE: It would seem that the back and forth between Scaramucci and Frum continued on Twitter after the show went off the air:
Frum and Dumb rhyme for a reason. @davidfrum For all of his attacks on @potus it turns out he is just an angry liar. Doesn’t check facts.
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) February 3, 2018
A grown man tweeted this? https://t.co/6SZzhjj6xC
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 3, 2018
Scaramucci also tried to keep it going on Saturday morning:
Ok . @davidfrum is a liar and an unstable nongenius. Tell lies on TV to create a “gotcha” moment comes across as an uncouth angry bufoon. https://t.co/v3MRV3H0DR
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) February 3, 2018
(Via Real Time)