Fox News host Howard Kurtz on Sunday grilled former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci after he called some of Donald Trump's tweets racist.
"You've said these tweets against [four Democratic congresswomen] are racist," Kurtz reminded Scaramucci. "In fact, you said, if Trump continues to act like this... we say you are turning into [a racist]. That's pretty strong words."
Scaramucci said that Trump's racist attack on Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA) and Rashida Tlaib (MI) was a "wake up call."
"How much blowback have you gotten from the pro-Trump side?" Kurtz wondered. "I imagine the president is furious with you. I don't know if this severs your relationship with him. And I know you've been disinvited from a Republican fundraiser."
"It doesn't matter to me," Scaramucci replied. "Because I'm my own guy. You cannot have a loyalty with someone who throws an apple on the floor and says you have to tell us it’s an orange."
Kurtz said he didn't understand how Scaramucci could want Trump to be reelected while disagreeing with his remarks.
"You just said that you like Donald Trump. I get that," the Fox News host remarked. "And you want to see him reelected. So how do you square that with saying that these are racist comments, he hasn’t taken them back?"
Scaramucci argued that Trump's "go back" tweet at the congresswomen inspired a similar racist chant at a Trump rally in North Carolina, where supporters repeated the phrase "send her back."
"You do not want to win the second term of your presidency by dividing the United States," Scaramucci said.
"Do you think the passion you're bringing to this is because you come from an immigrant family?" Kurtz asked.
"A hundred percent," Scaramucci stated. "That's what I just said. You're not going to disavow your personal story to stay loyal to the president."
Kurtz concluded the interview by asking Scaramucci why he believes Trump will take his advice after rejecting similar warnings from allies.
"He's not going to take my advice, I get that," Scaramucci agreed. "But the thing is, he likes winning. So, if enough people speak up, he'll change his behavior and that will be better for America."
