‘Trump is head of terror organisation’ Ex-comms chief Scaramucci warns after chaos in US

Washington: Protesters seen walking inside Capitol Building

However, Mr Scaramucci believes the ongoing impeachment process, coupled with the decision to ban him from Twitter, has reduced the risk he represents – while stressing the importance of barring him from contesting any future Presidential elections. Mr Scaramucci was speaking eight days after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol – home to the House of Representatives and the Senate, having been encouraged to march on the building by Mr Trump.

The billionaire has spent the two months since his defeat to Joe Biden in the US Presidential election making unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, with matters coming to a head following his speech on January 6.

Afterwards, thousands smashed their way into the Capitol in a bid to prevent the certification of Mr Biden’s victory.

Many of them were angry at Vice-President Mike Pence, whom Mr Trump lambasted in his speech and on social media, claiming he should have blocked the process, despite only having a ceremonial role.

In the ensuing mayhem, five people, including one Capital police officer, were killed before order was restored several hours later.

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Mr Trump was yesterday impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of inciting the rioters, and he will now be tried by the Senate, with a two-thirds majority required to convict him.

In the meantime, with Mr Biden set to be inaugurated on January 20, fears are mounting over further unrest in the nation’s capital next week.

Mr Scaramucci is a long-term associate who worked as his communications chief briefly in 2017 before being forced to resign after disparaging remarks about right-wing White House strategist Steve Bannon were published in the New Yorker.

Asked whether he was anxious at the prospect of more violence, Mr Scaramucci told Express.co.uk: “I am less nervous than I was a couple of days ago because I think they now have it under control.

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“If you had asked me a couple of days ago, I would have said I felt very worried indeed.”

Strong restrictions have now been put in place in the capital, including a curfew.

Mr Scarmucci added: “You can’t fly into Washington DC with a gun and Airbnb won’t let you book a room.

“I also think impeaching the President has helped, as has taking him off of Twitter.

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“It had to happen because he is now the head of a domestic terrorist organisation, which sounds ridiculous but that is what he is.

“He represents an existential threat to the United States.

“We picked somebody who was dangerous.”

Mr Scaramucci said last Wednesday’s arrest had happened as a result of a number of factors, suggesting there had been a degree of complicity within the Capitol police force.

“Also there were three groups of police we are talking about: ones who supported Trump who didn’t show up for work, ones who didn’t support Trump, who didn’t show up for work, and ones who supported Trump, who did show up for work.

“Those were the ones who were letting terrorists into the Capitol building.”

Mr Scaramucci said while he, like millions of others, had been left shocked by the scenes relayed around the world, he had not been entirely surprised given Mr Trump’s track record.

And while he felt Mr Trump would not have opted to run in 2024 anyway, he was optimistic about the impeachment process, which he believes will result in a conviction in the Senate, paving the way for the billionaire to be barred from running for public office in the future.

He said: “I think that is important because while Trump would not run, he would use it to boost his power base and act like a kingmaker for the Republican Party.”

Looking to the future, Mr Scaramucci said incoming President Joe Biden had set the right tone with his remarks in response to the disorder, when he said: “Don’t dare call them protesters – it’s not a protest, it’s an insurrection.”

Mr Scarmucci said: “I think Joe Biden is well-equipped to cope with this situation.

“People are looking for calmness and a nice, boring Twitter feed, not waking up and seeing what the President has said next.”

He also predicted an enhanced role for Kamala Harris, the first woman, and the first person of colour, elected to the office, whom he suggested now had to be regarded as one of the most important Vice-Presidents in the history of the country.

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