In a heated exchange between Anthony Scaramucci and CNN’s Jake Tapper during an interview on “State of the Union,” Sunday, the newly minted communications director called out the network for having no evidence of collusion despite the media’s fixation on the Russia investigations.
Scaramucci called the Russia story a “bogus” and “nonsensical thing” and said the president isn’t going to have to pardon anyone.
Tapper responded by listing the investigations into the matter, including the FBI’s, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s, and the House Intelligence Committee’s.
“None of that is manufactured, none of that,” Tapper said.
“Have they found any evidence that the president or anybody in the campaign has colluded with the Russians, Jake?” Scaramucci asked.
“I don’t know,” Tapper admitted.
Scaramucci said the issue would be put to rest this week after White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort testified.
Tapper also brought up Scaramucci’s past remarks disparaging Trump as a “hack politician.”
“If I said some things about him while I was working for another candidate, Mr. Trump, Mr. President, I apologize for that. Can we move on from that?” Scaramucci said.
“I’m going to be working for you, and I’m going to serve the American people and we’re going to get your agenda out into the heartland where it belongs and we’re going to turn this thing into a movement, a bigger movement than we have already,” he said.
“I love how you’re talking to one specific viewer right now, the most important audience that there is,” Tapper responded sarcastically.
“He’s gonna win again, Jake,” Scaramucci said, adding, “I’ll bring a box of Kleenex over here to CNN.”
“We don’t need Kleenex,” Tapper replied.
.@Scaramucci: "He's gonna win again. I'll bring a box of kleenex...to CNN" @jaketapper: "We don't need kleenex" https://t.co/mRYkyPKKM1
— CNN (@CNN) July 23, 2017