Ex-Trump insider delivers blunt diagnosis of what's gone wrong with American politics

A former Trump White House insider warned that voters should be cautious of the "rizz" of rising stars in the political scene right now.

Anthony Scaramucci, one of Trump's former White House communications directors, spoke to CNN's Kasie Hunt about what it takes to win big elections nowadays.

"Are we at a moment where being famous is the thing you have to have if you want to be in politics?" Hunt asked.

Hunt mentioned the rising popularity of Spencer Pratt, a reality star turned contender for L.A. mayor, and the resilience of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who keeps weathering controversies.

"If you're making the point that we've lost the plot and we're no longer hiring people based on their credentials and what they could do for the country, and it's more about who's got the name recognition and the pizzazz or rizz on Instagram, yeah, we're definitely in that category," Scaramucci responded.

However, for Scaramucci, that's not a good place to be.

"That's dangerous, and that's something I think we should be worried about," Scaramucci said, whose former boss, Trump, was a reality TV star.

He explained that "the system has gone awry" by rewarding "self-aggrandizement," and "this is a problem for us," as "name recognition is number one" on the list of qualifications for politicians.