ANKARA

Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House official, said controversy surrounding the release of documents related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will not bring down US President Donald Trump, arguing that the president has repeatedly survived major scandals.

“You can never count him out. The Epstein files won’t knock him out. I’ve said that consistently,” Scaramucci told The Guardian in an interview published on Tuesday.

The former White House communications director, who served 11 days in the role in July 2017, described his long relationship with Trump as transactional rather than personal.

“If somebody walks into your office and says they’re friends with Donald Trump, they’re either exaggerating the relationship, or they don’t understand the relationship,” Scaramucci said. “Because nobody is friends with Donald. You’re a transaction in this guy’s field of vision.”

Scaramucci first met Trump in 1995 while working at Goldman Sachs and said he was initially “in awe,” describing Trump at the time as “one of the most famous people in New York.”

Over the years, their political alignment shifted.

Scaramucci joined Trump’s campaign in 2016 and later accepted the communications director post, but said he ultimately broke with Trump over policy differences and personal clashes.

“Anybody that had a backbone or a set of principles was never going to be able to work for Trump,” he said. “It was always going to end badly.”

He has since become a vocal critic of the president, describing his outlook as “Trump reality syndrome.”

“I know what he is, I know what he does, I know what he’s capable of and I know the danger of him,” Scaramucci warned.

Despite his criticism, Scaramucci said the Epstein-related disclosures are unlikely to significantly alter Trump’s political standing.

He said Trump has demonstrated resilience through prior controversies and that opponents should not assume the Epstein files will prove decisive.

Scaramucci also reflected on the broader political environment that allowed Trump to rise, citing anger, nationalism and dissatisfaction with traditional political institutions.

“While he provides no policy solutions for them, he is an avatar for their anger,” he said.

He suggested that Trump’s ability to survive scandals is tied to his connection with voters who feel alienated from political elites.

Scaramucci acknowledged his own past misjudgments, including professional associations that later drew scrutiny.

“I think I have some bad judgment, but I’m also a big risk taker,” he said.

Looking ahead, he said he believes the US political system will eventually correct itself.

“I predict that we will go through a reflective period of time, a period of redemption and a period of renewal,” Scaramucci said. “I believe that the country will heal itself, because the country always heals itself.”

Epstein’s case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein’s extensive links to political, business and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.