Anthony Scaramucci: J.D. Vance Overshadowing Trump is a ‘Dangerous Thing’
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Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has a big problem, former Trump administration communications chief Anthony Scaramucci told CNN’s Boris Sanchez Thursday. He is constantly at risk of overshadowing former President Donald Trump himself. And that is a dangerous thing for anyone in Trump’s orbit to do, he warned.
This comes amid reports that Trump is already regretting his choice of Vance, a decision he made when he felt confident in the race and did not see the need for a running mate who balanced the ticket pragmatically.
“Given that vantage point that you’ve had into Donald Trump, how do you think he’s absorbing these comments by J.D. Vance about ‘childless cat people’ and the sort of blowback that he’s gotten on social media and elsewhere from women notably, a subset of voters that Republicans haven’t had the most success with?” Sanchez asked.
“What made Vice President Mike Pence successful as a vice presidential candidate is he understood President Trump’s personality,” said Scaramucci, who became a sharp Trump critic after a catastrophic and brief 10-day stint in the administration.
“He took a back seat and his attitude was do no harm, say nothing that could be overly advantageous or disadvantageous. J.D. Vance is a different beast. He’s 39 years old. He’s very ambitious. He has a very high opinion of himself. He sees this as a moment for him to shine, as opposed to a moment to take a backseat to Donald Trump.”
And that’s a problem, Scaramucci added, because “remember, when Donald Trump has somebody in his field of vision that’s getting attention, he usually blows them to smithereens. He did it on ‘The Apprentice’ with that blonde woman in the first two seasons. There was a joke inside the administration: if you’re getting too much attention and Trump leans over to you and says, ‘Oh, who are you, President Bannon now?’ or ‘You’re getting more popular than me,’ it was time to book a trip to Antarctica and go into hiding.”
Vance doesn’t understand this, said Scaramucci. “He thinks he’s actually a vice presidential candidate, but he’s a deep subordinate to Donald Trump. And you just watch how this plays out.” Scaramucci’s comments highlight the precarious nature of political alliances within Trump’s sphere, where overshadowing the former president can lead to swift retribution.
Vance’s ambitious approach and his controversial remarks about “childless cat people” have not only drawn social media backlash but also spotlighted the delicate balance required to navigate Trump’s political landscape. As the 2024 election approaches, the dynamics between Trump and his running mate will be closely watched, with potential implications for the Republican campaign strategy.
