Stephen Colbert, Anthony Scaramucci spar over Trump, Bannon, and white supremacists in the White House
Stephen Colbert introduced his guest on Monday's Late Show, Anthony Scaramucci, as the "shortest-tenured communications director in White House history," and Jon Batiste welcomed him onstage with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and things got off to an unusual start, with Scaramucci jokingly threatening to murder Colbert's writers, Game of Thrones-style. "I promised you no gotcha questions," Colbert began, "but I'm gonna lead with one: Nazis, good or bad?" "Super bad," Scaramucci said, and they turned to Trump's decision not to criticize white supremacists until Monday.
Scaramucci said Trump should have denounced them Saturday, but insisted he's "a compassionate person," suggested Trump did not initially condemn the Nazis because the media expected him to, and said Trump deserved some credit for doing it on Monday. "Two days later?" Colbert asked. "Does he order his spine on Amazon Prime?"
Colbert asked him what it was like inside the White House, because "from the outside, it looks like a dumpster fire." "It's a tough place, there is a lot of infighting," Scaramucci said. "Whatever you think about me, I was pretty open about how I felt about people," he added drily, but the other Trump aides would go behind your back or leak to the press for political gain. Colbert got him to open up a bit about his tense relationship with former chief of staff, Reince Preibus, and another aide Scaramucci thinks is a leaker, Stephen Bannon. He declined to speculate if Bannon was about to get sacked, but did say, "if it was up to me, he would be gone." They ended with a discussion of his most infamous quote about Bannon.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Are there elements of white supremacy within the White House right now?" Colbert asked after the break. "Is Steve Bannon a white supremacist?" "I don't think he's a white supremacist, although I've never asked him," Scaramucci said. "What I don't like, though, is the toleration of it." Colbert asked if Scaramucci felt "burned or backstabbed" by his short stint in the White House, and he said no. "Well, let me put it this way," he added. "When you take a job like that, Stephen, you know that your expiration date is coming. I didn't think I was going to last too long, but I thought that I would last longer than, like, a carton of milk." "You were like a bag of raw shrimp," Colbert suggested. Peter Weber
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published