Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Donald Trump's White House communications director for just 11 days in 2017, has claimed that retired General Mark Milley hates the US President even more than Melania Trump does.
Appearing on the podcast How To Fail With Elizabeth Day, Scaramucci spoke about his brief and chaotic tenure in the administration and revealed how his own wife, Deidre, fiercely resisted his decision to join it.
Wife's warning
Scaramucci said his second wife pleaded with him not to take the role because of what she had learned about Trump through her connections in New York's elite social circles.
He said: "And she was like, you can't go work for him. I mean, she really despises him. I mean, I always tease and say that she hates him almost as much as Melania hates him because that's like the..."
He then named someone he believes harbours an even deeper hatred for the President: "Actually, I think I found one person that hates Trump more than Melania, that's like Mark Milley. General Milley hates Trump more than Melania, other than that."
Milley's fallout with Trump
Retired General Mark Milley, Trump's former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has emerged as a prominent critic of the President. In January 2025, Milley was stripped of his security detail and security clearance after Trump returned to office, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering officials to review his conduct and military rank.
Milley previously called Trump a "fascist", while the President accused him of treason over conversations with his Chinese counterpart during the final weeks of Trump's first term, including after the January 6 Capitol riot.
Milley is one of several former officials to have security protections revoked after falling out with Trump, including former health official Anthony Fauci.
Melania's marriage under scrutiny
The remarks come amid renewed examination of Melania Trump's relationship with the President. Political commentator David Pakman recently questioned her public portrayal of Trump's work ethic after she praised him on Fox and Friends.
Melania said: "He's very focused, he has a lot on his plate. I think he's doing the best he can, he works non-stop, he has the most energy of anybody. He's from morning til evening, he's non-stop working."
Pakman called the comments "extraordinary", questioning how Melania could know such detail about her husband's schedule given reports that the couple spend long periods living separately. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "I think the funniest question is something that is unsaid. How would Melania know that Trump is working from morning until evening. Melania is very independent from Donald Trump, compared to other first ladies. In fact, we have reason to believe she's completely estranged from Donald Trump. It seems as though they are mostly living separately. They have separate bedrooms, when they're even in the same building."
Pakman conceded that Melania might have access to her husband's diary, but questioned how she could assess his work ethic if they rarely spend time together.
