Mick Mulvaney, the Office of Management and Budget director who President Donald Trump tweeted Friday would serve as acting chief of staff after John Kelly departs in January, has been a loyal Trump supporter—but he didn’t always like him so much.
During a debate with his then-congressional challenger, Democrat Fran Person, on Nov. 2 of 2016, less than a week before Trump was elected president, then-congressman Mulvaney was blunt with those gathered at York Middle School in York, South Carolina.
After decrying the Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as a liberal who would take the country in the wrong direction, Mulvaney said he was supporting Trump, essentially by default.
“Yes, I am supporting Donald Trump, but I’m doing so despite the fact that I think he’s a terrible human being,” he said, according to a report in The State newspaper.
Mulvaney won his race by more than 20 points, with Trump carrying the same area by 19 points.
A video of the debate remarks was obtained by The Daily Beast.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mulvaney is far from the first person in the administration to openly criticize Trump before signing on for a job in his administration, but he is certainly one of the most high-ranking.
During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Trump opponent Rick Perry called the future president’s campaign a “cancer on conservatism.” Perry now serves as President Trump’s Secretary of Energy. Before Kellyanne Conway became Trump’s 2016 campaign manager during the homestretch of the race, Conway had publicly criticized candidate Trump for refusing to release his tax returns and for his “vulgar” rhetoric. Conway currently serves as one of Trump’s most ardent defenders and as his White House counselor.
Even if Mulvaney had never uttered a critical word about Trump, the chances he would last long in a chief of staff post would have likely been slim regardless. Two knowledgeable sources told The Daily Beast on Friday that Mulvaney has indicated in recent weeks that he definitely would not want the chief of staff position beyond a temporary, interim assignment.
“Why would he? He's a sane man,” one administration source said, bluntly, referencing the routine humiliation, reputational damage, and backstabbing that Trump’s current and past chiefs of staff had famously experienced.
ZeusAmmon on December 15th, 2018 at 05:06 UTC »
Mick Mulvaney owes years of back taxes.He spent years pushing against any rise in federal budget until Trump made him director of the OMB, when he presented the highest budget ever. He helped increase the federal budget by nearly $1 trillion dollars this year with an additional $7 trillion over the next 7 years. He also opposed paying for a border wall. A true conservative.
Mick Mulvaney refuses to meet with lobbyists unless they make a campaign donation. He is very open about this position. He wanted to get rid of Meals on Wheels because he claims it doesn't help taxpayers. He once purchased bonds for a real estate development and then led a campaign to have tax payers also buy bonds. Once they inflated the value of the real estate, he sold his bonds for $7 million and never finished the project he promised tax payers he would. A man of the people.
Mick Mulvaney supports Rand Paul. He claims to be the most conservative member of the current administration and introduces himself (facetiously I assume) as a "right wing nut job". He became the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after calling it a "sick, sad joke" of a department. Here, he actively worked to dismantle the Bureau by freezing hiring, rulemaking, and penalty fee collection. He requested a budget for this department of $0. He also has dropped multiple cases against pay day lenders who have made sizeable contributions to his campaign. Remember, this verifies his statement that he only listens to people who donate to him. He did, however, bring in new politically appointed employees who he immediately gave large raises to. He even created new positions for them. It took him four months to make a single penalty assessment, probably due to the fact that he was working 2-3 days a week, a few hours a day. He shut down public access to the consumer complaint database of the CFPB, calling it "Yelp for financial services". He has supported shutting down the government on multiple occasions.
Mick Mulvaney supports increasing the federal deficit, shutting down the government, less transparency, and bribing. He also supports stealing from taxpayers, not paying taxes, and pay day lenders who have charged up to 950% interest. One thing he does not support is Planned Parenthood, because he is against the "trafficking in pieces of dead children".
Mick Mulvaney is perfect for Donald Trump's administration.
DueFuel on December 15th, 2018 at 03:14 UTC »
Hello America. Mick Mulvaney described Donald Trump as a "terrible human being". Mulvaney should know. Mick Mulvaney spent most of his time as a Congressman & then as a lobbyist representing business & people who are exactly like Donald Trump & him. Evil.
Jorunkun on December 15th, 2018 at 03:14 UTC »
Tnat's really tame compared to what previous chiefs of staff (let alone cabinet members) have called him so far. If he wants to leave an impression, he's going to have to up his game.