The Chris Cuomo Project

Episode: Anthony Scaramucci on How Trump Broke American Politics

Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Chris Cuomo
Guest: Anthony Scaramucci

Episode Overview

Chris Cuomo sits down with Anthony Scaramucci—Wall Street veteran, former White House Communications Director, and outspoken critic of MAGA politics—for a wide-ranging conversation on the transformation of American politics in the age of Trump, the rise of "rage-bait" media, and the future of blockchain technology. Scaramucci shares personal lessons from his upheaval in Trump world, discusses his latest book on blockchain and crypto, and both men critically assess the growing polarization and tribalism in today's media and political landscape.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Scaramucci’s Evolving Role: From MAGA Insider to Opponent

Timestamps: 03:21–05:37

• Cuomo highlights Scaramucci’s shift in influence: "He was one of the makers of MAGA... but he's much more powerful since he's been out."
• They joke about Scaramucci’s productivity as a writer, with Scaramucci crediting his co-author Max Myers (04:05).

2. Scaramucci’s New Book: Blockchain, Crypto, and Finance’s Future

Timestamps: 05:37–08:17

• Scaramucci outlines the journey in his book:
  • His pivot from Wall Street to understanding blockchain/crypto as a seasoned investor.
  • Explains the difference between cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin), blockchain as the technology, and platforms such as Solana and Ethereum.
  • Predicts blockchain will transform financial transactions, streamline stock/bond trades, and reduce costs:

    "Over the blockchain, Chris, you and I could do that transaction instantaneously and it's final and it's fully secure and it's relatively costless." (07:17)

3. Credit, Leverage, and the American Economy

Timestamps: 08:17–12:51

• Cuomo raises concerns about America’s unique fondness for consumer leverage and its societal implications.
• Scaramucci discusses the perils of retail-level debt and the cycle of credit dependencies, likening high debt levels to “the rent is too high” motif (09:23).
• Both examine universal basic income ideas, referencing Michael & Susan Dell’s foundation and Andrew Yang’s "freedom dividend" to foster class mobility and self-determination.

4. Hope, Savings, and the Power of Opportunity

Timestamps: 12:51–13:28

• Scaramucci underscores the importance of teaching saving and instilling hope:

  "We gotta teach people how to save... but we also have to give people hope. You start a kid off with something like that... they're gonna think that their dreams are gonna come true." (12:51–13:19)

5. The Tribalization of Politics & The Social Media Frenzy

Timestamps: 15:58–19:10

• Cuomo introduces the "weak people make hard times" cycle, arguing current tribalism is intensifying and both sides now use outrage for engagement:

  "Politics is increasingly designed for social media, not for retail politicking." (15:58)

• Notes a rise in left-wing rage-bait tactics (e.g. Chuck Schumer’s profane anti-Trump video), mirroring those Trump mastered.

6. Populist Outrage, Wokeism, and Cancel Culture

Timestamps: 19:10–21:43

• Scaramucci critiques the left for drifting toward the politics of outrage and performative virtue.
• Warns against “cancelling” political opponents and losing sight of practical policies:

  “When we go woke, we're going broke politically... I'm all for inclusion... I'm not for the righteous declarations from the left where they want to cancel everybody if they don't agree with them." (18:19)

7. Rage-Bait Media and the Incentive Structure

Timestamps: 21:43–36:47

• Discussion explores the media’s monetization of rage-bait—from podcasts to mainstream outlets on both sides (Megan Kelly, Candace Owens, The Young Turks, etc.).
• Cuomo observes:

  "You look at the fastest growing influencers, they're all fire breathers... rage bait as their word of the year." (21:43, 39:27)

• Scaramucci shares recent experiences at progressive events—including being accused of “normalizing Trump”—and the pervasiveness of “all-or-nothing” outrage postures among activists (29:09–30:49).

8. Losing the Middle, Non-Voting Americans, and Potential for Realignment

Timestamps: 36:47–42:54

• Scaramucci posits 100 million non-voters as the ultimate swing group:

  "If you could figure out... how to bring those voters into the pool... that could be the game changer." (40:01–40:59)

• Cuomo agrees the rise of independents and exhaustion with social media offer hope for centrist or nonpartisan politics, especially among Gen X/Boomers, but laments that the current momentum is away from moderation.

9. The Problem of Binary Party Politics & The Founders’ Warnings

Timestamps: 49:41–52:44

• Cuomo reflects on George Washington’s warnings against partisan sectarianism:

  "One third of that message is avoiding parties and every sectarian value that they will dominate... We are killing ourselves with exactly what he warned against." (51:08)

• Argues for coalition-style governance and eliminating party-driven districting and fundraising.

10. Closing Reflections: Identity, Fair Brokerage, and Hope

Timestamps: 52:53–54:27

• Cuomo commends Scaramucci as a rare “fair broker” and a resilient model of personal reinvention.
• Scaramucci shares a nostalgic moment as an early donor to Andrew Cuomo; both acknowledge the importance of identity and ethnic heritage within broader American whiteness (54:05–54:27).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Blockchain’s Future:
  “There's going to come a day... the phones that we're using is going to have a stablecoin... you'll go direct to the vendor, direct to the restaurant... that's going to be a very big part of our future.” — Scaramucci, 06:31

• On Credit Culture:
  "The standards, the cost of living has gone up astronomically... people are trying to maintain things and they take on a little bit of credit card debt. And then... you're in the hole and you can't catch up." — Scaramucci, 09:23

• On Social Media Politics:
  "There is an inherent flaw... a disconnect from the majority, which is why we keep getting surprised by polling, because polling seems suggestive of social media realities and then it doesn't play out that way." — Cuomo, 15:58

• On Outrage as Currency:
  "The left believes, well, we don't need a galvanizer, we need a Balkanizer. And we got to get our people back, take them back from Trump and ride the pain train of outrage and being pissed off. And I got to tell you, it works." — Cuomo, 25:37

• Critique of Cancel Culture:
  "Do you want to cancel every one of those [Trump voters]? And they go crazy? Yes, we do... Okay, well, that's not a country.” – Scaramucci, 18:04

• On Due Process and Media Extremes:
  "The whole foundational stone of... the Church of Individual Freedom is based on due process and the presumption of innocence. Because the presumption of innocence will allow for some guilty to pass through that screen. But it's very protective." — Scaramucci, 34:43

• On Nonpartisan Opportunity:
  “Fastest growing part of the electorate is nonpartisan... The plurality reality is now fuck these guys.” — Cuomo, 41:15

• On Party Politics' Dangers:
  "We are killing ourselves with exactly what [Washington] warned against." — Cuomo, 51:08

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Content | Timestamp | |---------|---------|-----------| | Scaramucci’s role in MAGA & post-White House | 03:21–05:37 | | Overview of blockchain, crypto, Solana | 06:31–08:17 | | Credit culture, debt in America | 09:23–10:55 | | The "weak people/hard times" cycle; rise of outrage politics | 15:58–17:31 | | Populism, wokeism, and inclusion vs. cancel culture | 18:19–19:10 | | Rage-bait as the new political/media model | 21:43–39:27 | | The non-voter as untapped force | 40:01–41:15 | | George Washington’s warning against party politics | 51:08–52:44 |

Conclusion

Tone: Genuine, critical, and unsparingly honest. Both speakers mix policy analysis with candid media industry critiques, personal anecdotes, and biting cultural observations.

Cuomo and Scaramucci challenge listeners to think beyond the tribal "rage-bait" politics dominating both left and right, reflect on the ongoing relevance of due process, and consider structural reforms—from blockchain in finance to abandoning binary party politics. The episode leaves listeners with a sense of urgency about reclaiming moderation and independent thought in American life.

For further engagement, listeners are encouraged to check out Scaramucci’s new book on blockchain, subscribe to the Chris Cuomo Project’s Substack, and join the effort to promote critical thinking and independent inquiry in a fractured political climate.