Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has a blunt prediction for President Donald Trump: by 2028, he'll be "largely irrelevant," but not before potentially cashing in and issuing a flurry of pardons to protect himself and his inner circle.
In a post on X Monday, Scaramucci argued that Trump "is not Xi, he's not Putin, he's not Stalin." The president, he said, lacks "the patience, the energy, or the organizational discipline to build a true infrastructure of authoritarianism." Instead, Scaramucci sees Trump up against a resilient American political system that "has worked for 250 years and isn't going down without a fight."
By the end of 2028, Scaramucci expects Trump to become "largely irrelevant," though he could still "make billions of $$$." The former communications director also claimed Trump may pursue broad pardons, saying he would "pardon himself" and "pardon the family," as well as others in his orbit allegedly tied to financial wrongdoing, including insider trading and crypto-related activities.
Scaramucci acknowledged that the only scenario that could significantly alter that trajectory would be if Trump were to die in office—a claim he stressed was not a wish but a hypothetical. He also referenced Vice President JD Vance as a potential successor in such a scenario.
Earlier, Scaramucci warned that Trump's leadership style could undermine rising Republicans like Vance and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) while potentially strengthening Democrats in future elections. He argued Trump "eats his young," pointing to former Vice President Mike Pence as an example of a damaged ally. He suggested Vance and Rubio could face similar political risks amid internal GOP tensions.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) signaled she is not ruling out a future presidential bid but emphasized her focus is on broad policy goals rather than political titles. She said her ambition is to "change this country" and prioritize issues like universal healthcare. Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has seen his national profile rise following a public clash involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Kelly acknowledged he is considering a 2028 presidential run, stressing it would be "irresponsible not to think about it."
