Are you worried about the state of the world? About the economy, the global balance of power, or even the future of democracy? Anthony Scaramucci doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind in this exclusive interview with award-winning journalist Yalda Hakim.
LSB exclusives Yalda Hakim (Lead World News Presenter) and Anthony Scaramucci (entrepreneur, investor, podcaster, and former White House Communications Director) sit down to explore the lessons of power, politics, leadership, and the economy in turbulent times.
Scaramucci, famously known as “The Mooch,” reflects on his brief but defining time in the White House under Trump 1.0. “That period does define me… I don’t think you and I would be talking today if I didn’t get fired unceremoniously from the White House.”
Scaramucci describes Project 2025, a 925-page plan aiming to “consolidate presidential power at the expense of Congress and the judiciary.” He believes that while Trump identifies issues America needs to tackle, his methods are dangerously authoritarian. His perspective on Trump 2.0 is chilling. “Did Trump do some things that were right? Yes. But the way he’s gone about it has been colossally damaging.” Is America vulnerable to the manipulation of power?
The conversation shifts from politics to economics, where Scaramucci warns about policy missteps and their real-world consequences. “The good news for Trump is that companies have eaten a lot of the tariff costs, and didn’t pass them on to the consumer. The bad news is that they stopped the incremental hire. They stopped the incremental capital allocation to plant that equipment in the country.”
Since 2020, the dollar has lost 28% of its value, hitting everyday Americans hardest. Scaramucci calls it a “pernicious regressive tax,” a way for politicians to sidestep explicit taxation while crushing savings.
The cohost of The Rest is Politics US podcast moves on to discuss crypto. Initially skeptical, he now holds over $1.5 billion in crypto through his hedge fund. He co-wrote The Little Book of Bitcoin, explaining his 10-year learning process. He compares crypto to the horseless carriage and Uber, saying initial skepticism is common, but useful technologies eventually prevail: “If a technology is better, the technology gets adopted… crypto could save the world $7 trillion.”
The Mooch challenges viewers to take action in a world where trust is fragile: “There are large and small actions that you can take at a local level that can force more accountability into the system.”
From tariffs to democracy, from geopolitics and the global economy to finance, Scaramucci paints a stark picture: the systems we rely on are fragile, and the forces shaping the future are both powerful and unpredictable. He offers a path forward, one grounded in understanding and action. Yalda Hakim brings clarity and urgency to this conversation.
Video timeline
- 00:00 – Who is Anthony Scaramucci?
- 01:00 – The White House 11 Days: Reflections and Lessons
- 03:20 – Why he joined Trump 1.0
- 04:30 – Behind the Scenes of the 2016 Election Win
- 06:00 – Trump 1.0 vs 2.0: A Dangerous Evolution
- 08:15 – The Rise of Trump Loyalists: Don Jr. and Project 2025
- 12:00 – The Economic Impact of Tariffs
- 18:00 – Inflation, the Dollar, and the U.S. Economy at Risk
- 25:15 – Crypto: Disruption and Opportunity
- 28:00 – Leadership: Words of Wisdom
- 29:15 – Closing Thoughts
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