Scaramucci: Trump’s attitude toward reporters ‘galvanizes the press’ against him

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci warned President Trump on Sunday that his antagonistic approach to the press “galvanizes” the media against him.

“Having a war declaration or having that level of antagonism with the press does not help the president, does not serve his interest going into the midterms or the reelection,” Scaramucci said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci on the White House barring CNN’s Kaitlan Collins from a White House event for asking Donald Trump “inappropriate” questions: “She was doing her job” #CNNSOTU https://t.co/rEl4uNopDo

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 29, 2018

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“I understand the frustration, I understand the president’s personality where he likes to punch back and he likes to be combative,” he added. “But what I think that also does … it galvanizes the press vis-a-vis the White House.”

Scaramucci’s comments came days after CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins accused the White House of barring her from attending an event because she had asked “inappropriate” questions of the president during his meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Scaramucci said on Sunday that Collins had put been in the “penalty box,” but defended her, saying that she was simply “doing her job” by asking the questions.

“She was doing her job,” Scaramucci said. “I understand that she was put in the penalty box. I would certainly recommend to my former colleagues there that you take her out of the penalty box.”

Collins was serving as the pool reporter for TV when she was told by White House deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine that she could not attend a presidential event. 

Shine has disputed Collins’s claim that she was banned from the event.