By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-05 18:37:07 | Updated at 2024-12-22 16:46:29
2 weeks ago
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough completely went off on criticism that he fears the incoming Trump administration as the fallout continues ever since the longtime MSNBC morning show hosts' post-election visit to Mar-a-Lago.
His 20-minute rant Thursday morning began in response to an article by David Frum in The Atlantic where Frum accused the liberal network hosts of surrendering to fear of President-elect Trump with the headline 'The Sound of Fear on Air.'
'Just because some people have said we're fearful, let me tell you something, you can talk to anybody that's worked in the front office of NBC or MSNBC over the past 22 years, they'll tell you I'm not fearful,' Scarborough said defiantly.
Frum wrote his article on Wednesday about how Mika Brzezinski had apologized on air following a segment with him.
During the segment, Frum made the crack 'if you’re too drunk for Fox News, you’re very, very drunk indeed' while talking about allegations against defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth.
Scarborough on Thursday fired back that they were not apologizing by stating the comment about Fox was 'too flippant' for the current moment.
'That wasn't the sound of fear, that was the sound of civility,' Scarborough said.
He argued Brzezinski who was seated next to him had not apologized as she agreed 'no, I didn't.'
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough went off on Thursday with a roughly 20 minute rant after an article in The Atlantic accused the morning television host of bowing to fear with Trump heading back to the White House
The accusation of fear appeared to have hit a nerve with the television host vehemently defending their actions since Trump won the election.
'You talk to anybody who served with me in Congress, they will tell you not fearful of leadership. Now: not fearful,' Scarborough added.
He said Morning Joe was trying to get Frum back on the show to talk through his accusations and claimed no paper would allow the crack about Fox to be printed. He also argued they didn't name Frum in their statement after his segment.
'I am telling you, the sound of fear, the apology, none of that is true,' he said. 'But guess what, this is what has been going on now for several weeks.'
Scarborough continued to defend his and Brzezinski's visit to Florida to meet with Trump after the election and said people have been writing articles that were 'just false' about it.
He slammed the criticism of their background conversation with the president-elect arguing other media organizations have spoken to him as well.
'If they have a chance to talk on the background with the incoming president and president-elect, they would do it,' he went on.
He called the critical articles being written about it 'outrageous stupid, immature' and said they 'lied time and time again about us.'
Scarborough was nearly shouting as he said trying to speak to the president and have background conversations is what reporters do.
'And by the way, guess what? That's what I've been doing for years,' he said addressing viewers directly.
He pointed out that he speaks to Middle Eastern leaders also who are not 'good people' to get information and 'give it to you.'
Scarborough said they only difference between what they did with their visit to Mar-a-Lago and other media organizations was they were transparent about it.
'We actually told you,' he declared.
Scarborough was responding to an article in The Atlantic by David Frum titled 'The Sound of Fear on Air' which he wrote after the MSNBC hosts called his remarks about Fox News 'too flippant' following his segment on Wednesday
Scarborough speaking about the president-elect claimed he could do two things at once: 'you can say he had fascist rhetoric and still go in and talk to him.'
'You know why I do that? To get the read of the man,' he went on.
Ten minutes into his on air rant, Scarborough was full on shouting as he defended his actions and compared himself to 'great reporters at the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times - just like they do it.'
He said because Trump spoke like a fascist during the campaign 'that means it's even more important we go there.'
During the 2024 election, the hosts of Morning Joe repeatedly denounced Trump as a fascist, racists and sexist and argued he should not be president. Scarborough even said at one point Trump was acting 'full-on Hitler.'
But on November 18, they revealed during their show that they met with Trump over the weekend in Florida.
Brzezinski said at the time they decided to reach out to Trump for 'the opportunity to speak with the President-elect, himself' because their viewers have expressed fear following Trump's election.
But their action has received harsh pushback with them defending themselves for the move ever since.
'People who are fearful and concerned, let me tell you something, we should have no fear,' Scarborough declared during his 20-minute rant Thursday.
'We should be deeply, deeply concerned about the constitutional norms,' he added.
Scarborough said they should do everything they can to encourage Republican senators to 'hold the line against nominees that would destroy the Pentagon, that would destroy the intel community.'
He argued they need to 'keep fighting' and 'have no fear, show no fear.'
But he claimed when they get to a state in media culture where civility is confused with fear 'then we're in trouble.'
Scarborough claimed he's sick and tired of the 'nonsense' and wished they could just 'get to work.'
Brzezinski repeated again their meeting with Trump was 'not kissing the ring' but a serious meeting and them doing their job.
