So here's a thing about politics and finance: sometimes they mix in ways that make Wall Street folks say things that sound more like a civics lecture than a market update. Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital, decided to give one of those lectures this week, and he aimed it squarely at the top ranks of the Republican Party.
In a post on X, Scaramucci called out Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), the number two Republican in the Senate. His message was blunt: "Where is your backbone? Thune. McConnell. All of them. Where are you?"
It's the kind of question you ask when you think someone is missing in action. Scaramucci's point was that these leaders are failing to publicly oppose what he sees as dangerous leadership, and he thinks they're letting political strategy override principle.
He had a particular angle on McConnell, who is 84. "McConnell, at 84 years old, 'has nothing left to lose. No more elections to win. No more favors to collect. No more political future to protect,'" Scaramucci wrote. The implication is clear: if you're not running for anything anymore, what's stopping you from saying what you really think?
To drive the point home, he brought in the heavy artillery: George Washington. "The man who voluntarily gave up power when he could have kept it forever…you can't find the words?" Scaramucci asked, contrasting Washington's example with what he sees as modern political silence.
He then got constitutional. "We have removal procedures in this country for a reason. The founders didn't put them there for decoration. They built the exit door. All you have to do is use it." He's talking about the mechanisms in place to check executive power, and he's essentially asking why Republican leaders aren't using them.
The core of Scaramucci's argument is that this isn't just about politics; it's about a failure of moral courage. He argues that McConnell, Thune, and others are prioritizing political calculations, party loyalty, and preserving a Republican majority over what he views as the defense of foundational U.S. principles.
This isn't a one-off rant for Scaramucci. Last month, he argued that the U.S. and its allies developed a "systemic blind spot" after the Cold War, treating liberal democracy's victory as inevitable. This led to economic policies—like offshoring and integrating China into the WTO—that he now admits, as a former Wall Street analyst, ignored American workers and fueled political division.
His criticism also touches on current policy debates within the GOP. For instance, he's pointed to Republican lawmakers who say President Donald Trump's proposed 10% global tariff faces congressional opposition, especially after a Supreme Court ruling affirmed that trade authority rests with Congress. Trump has since signaled plans to raise that tariff to 15%.
And then there's the Greenland story. Earlier this year, Scaramucci reported that GOP senators privately warned Trump that attempting to forcibly take Greenland could trigger impeachment. Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mitch McConnell reportedly called such action illegal and a threat to U.S. alliances. Representative Don Bacon (R-Neb.) was less diplomatic, reportedly calling the plan "the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
So when Scaramucci asks "Where is your backbone?" he's not just talking about one issue. He's weaving together a critique of economic policy, constitutional duty, and geopolitical strategy. He's suggesting that the private concerns some Republicans express—about tariffs, about Greenland—need to become public stances. He's arguing that the founders gave politicians tools for a reason, and that sometimes, using them is more important than winning the next election.
It's a message from a financier that has very little to do with finance and everything to do with political courage. Whether you agree with him or not, he's putting a very old question to modern leaders: when the stakes are high, what are you willing to risk?
