Mick Mulvaney, named acting White House chief of staff on Friday by President Trump, said in a debate shortly before Election Day 2016 he was supporting Mr. Trump for president even though "he's a terrible human being." The White House chief of staff is one of the most powerful jobs in government.

"Yes, I'm supporting Donald Trump. I'm doing so as enthusiastically as I can given the fact that he's a terrible human being," Mulvaney said on Nov. 2, 2016. "But the choice on the other side is just as bad."

Mulvaney made the remark at a debate against his Democratic challenger for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District. He won the race by more than 20 points.

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Mulvaney's comments were also reported in the local newspaper, The State, at the time.

The moderator asked Mulvaney and his challenger, Fran Person, if they were supporting the candidate at the top of their ticket. "Do I like Donald Trump? No," Mulvaney said. He said he did not think Mr. Trump is a good role model for his two sons, but he did not think Hillary Clinton is a good role model for his daughter.

According to The New York Times, Mulvaney shared a similar comment to his Facebook page on Oct. 11, 2016. He deleted it shortly before being selected to head Office of Management and Budget.

The debate video was first reported by The Daily Beast.

Person said that in Mr. Trump, "we have literally never had someone less fit to be president of the United States."