Ex-Trumpster Anthony Scaramucci says impeachment inquiry hurts GOP

A spokesman in former President Donald Trump’s White House contends the impeachment inquiry into President Biden doesn’t help Republicans.

Anthony Scaramucci, who helmed Mr. Trump’s communications shop for 11 days in 2017, then turned on his old boss, said the House inquiry into Mr. Biden and his family’s alleged influence peddling scheme has “damaged” the GOP.

“I think it’s a specious inquiry. I disagree with it,” Mr. Scaramucci told NewsNation. “I’m a lifelong Republican, and unfortunately we’ve really damaged our party. I don’t think this helps our party.”

Every House Republican this week voted to authorize the inquiry despite initial hesitancy from some moderates and swing-district lawmakers.

Those sitting on the fence seemingly came around after Speaker Mike Johnson pitched the vote as a way to help break through the White House’s efforts to stonewall the investigation conducted by a trio of Republican-led committees.

Mr. Scaramucci decried the fractured nature of the House GOP despite the brief moment of unanimity, calling divisions that have plagued lawmakers all year and led to the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy a “food fight” that’s scaring away voters.

“We’ve got less than 28% of the registered voters. The Democrats are bigger, and the independents are way bigger than that,” Mr. Scaramucci said. “Instead of focusing on this, why not go after all these people that are no longer in our party?”

Republican investigators say they’re swimming in evidence that shows the Biden family raked in millions from foreign business dealings that were hidden in a maze of shell companies but have yet to find evidence directly linking the president to wrongdoing.

Some Republicans, like Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, contend that if House investigators can find evidence that links the president to the alleged influence-peddling scheme, the offense might not be impeachable because it happened when Mr. Biden was not in his current office.