Trump's newest chief of staff called him a 'terrible human being' days before winning presidency
- In 2016, Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump's acting White House chief of staff, called then-presidential candidate Donald Trump "flawed" and said he was going to support him "despite the fact that I think he's a terrible human being."
- The comments were made six days before the 2016 presidential election.
Footage of comments made by Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump's pick for acting White House chief of staff, began circulating on the internet hours after the Office of Management and Budget director was selected to serve on an interim basis.
Six days before the 2016 presidential election, the former Republican representative debated against his Democratic opponent, Fran Person, for the state's 5th Congressional District in York, South Carolina, according to The State. Mulvaney addressed the crowd of around 80 people and appeared to be dissatisfied with presidential candidates from both parties.
"We have perhaps two of the most flawed human beings running for president in the history of the country," Mulvaney said of then-candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, in video footage found by The Daily Beast and The State. "Yes, I am supporting Donald Trump. I'm doing so as enthusiastically as I can given the fact that I think he's a terrible human being."
Mulvaney won the district with 59.2% of the vote, compared to Person's 38.7%.
Trump won the district with 58.4% of the vote, compared to Clinton's 36.4%.
In February 2017, he was confirmed by the Senate to lead the OMB; later in 2017 he was also appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.