‘Morning Joe’ Hosts Hit Back at Critics After Jon Stewart Mocks Them on ‘Daily Show’
The hosts of Morning Joe have fired back at critics of their meeting with president-elect Donald Trump, saying that the backlash is proof of a “massive disconnect between social media and the real world.”
On Monday’s (November 18) show, Joe Scarborough and his wife and co-host Mika Brzezinski revealed they had met with Trump at his Palm Beach residence, Mar-a-Lago. “Joe and I realized it’s time to do something different and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump but also talking with him,” Brzezinksi said.
The announcement received immediate backlash, with former MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann calling Scarborough and Brzezinski “confidence tricksters” and “grifters.” Meanwhile, media critic Jeff Jarvis called the meeting a “betrayal of their colleagues, democracy, and us all. It is a disgusting show of obeisance in advance.”
Jon Stewart also blasted the Morning Joe hosts on Monday’s edition of The Daily Show. The late-night host played a clip of Brzezinksi saying, “For those asking why we would go speak to the president-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back, why wouldn’t we?”
“Uh… Because you said he was Hitler,” Stewart responded.
Responding to the backlash on Tuesday’s (November 19) show, Scarborough said (per Mediaite), “I will say, first of all, thank you to everyone who was so kind last night. Yesterday I saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world because we were flooded with phone calls from people all day, literally around the world, all very positive, very supportive.”
“But once in a while I would get a text or call from someone going, ‘Oh, man, I hope you’re doing okay,’” Scarborough continued. “I would call them back, Eddie Glaude was one of them, I’d go: ‘Are you on Twitter?’ And he goes, ‘I am.’ I’d go ‘Well I’m not so we’ve had a good day. Mika had a wonderful event and it’s fantastic.’ All of us will do the best we can do and we’re all working towards a better America.”
“Take it day by day, people,” Brzezinski added.
You can see a clip of Joe and Mika speaking on Morning Joe here on mediate.com.
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G
Joe and Mika are sellouts.
62 1
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O
Former morning Joe fan will never watch again after they kissed the ring. A sellout to try and remain relevant. Get off the air and go away.
40 3
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O
It's beginning already-- the liberal media is frightened to death of Trump and what he might do to them. So either stand up for your beliefs or sell your integrity, just as so many Republican politicians have already done in recent years.
42 6
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G
Everyone needs to boycott their program. I just started, then we will see how many decent followers they have.
36 1
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C
The reason that they got hammered over social media, as opposed to the glowing reviews via calls and emails, is that people like me can only reach out via social media. The Fabulous calls they got are just another bubble they operate in.
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G
Capitulation is not a good look for them. It’s a punch in the gut. I’ve seen the last of them.
25 2
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B
Will never ever watch their show again, and I never cared for Joe person anyway he was always talking over and cutting off Mika and all his hosts, same selfish narcissistic like trump.
25 3
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D
Disgusting, elitist, arrogant sycophants. If anyone is tone deaf it these two clowns. Must be nice to have your cake, make your money off of calling out Trump's ineptitude for8 years, then you have the cake part at Mar-a-logo. YOU are disgusting sycophants, much like Lindsey Graham.....YOU are part of the reason Kamala lost......the disgusting holier than thou attitude, and then you have "privilege" of genuflecting.....so the bad, bad, man doesn't come after you.....you spineless sellouts.
19 3
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Q
Lawrence O'Donnell would NEVER do what they did, he has journalistic and ethical values. I was amazed at how fast i made the decision to never watch Morning Joe again, after fifteen years of watching them daily. And I will NEVER watch them again. I love for news about their failure now more than I look for news about Trump's - and that is A LOT.
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G
I think as shocking to us former viewers is the defensive stance that they've both taken since going to Mar-A Lago and getting backlash-- it's as if they haven't a clue as to how wrong this feels.
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R
Joe & myka did exactly what they have criticized in soo many other people. They have lost my respect, which has been waning for awhile. I had been losing interest in their show for quite awhile anyway. Joe can't interview a guest without interrupting constantly. He may not be as important as he thinks he is.
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G
Morning Joe is a sellout and a fraud.
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M
I took a break from national political news about a month before the election because it was apparent where the national mood was headed -- so I missed all the Good Morning Mar-a-Lago M&J drama... been enjoying South Park reruns in the morning instead. Ran across an Atlantic piece on the matter - I get their reasoning as they stated it, but it didn't sit well with me how they justified it - and ultimately I couldn't rationalize it. It didn't add up to me for several reasons... particularly the notion that they went on background to get a sense of the man -- like he's a mystery and we all don't already have that down by now. It felt like self serving capitulation and smacked of fear. I'm calling B.S. on tha. I've watched all most all of my old GOP bend the knee over and over again. We'll get through these challenging days as a nation, but in the meantime circular firing squads helps no one. Mica and Joe are going to have to win me back because they really stepped in it - in my opinion.
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G
Please send Morning Joe away . Bring in something new!!
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P
I never really cared for Joe anyway; I thought he interrupted Mika way too often. Wasn’t a daily watcher so it won’t be a problem to stop completely.
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O
I haven't even heard their response to the criticism, but visiting Trump like they did is cow-tying to an authoritarian fascist in an effort to protect themselves. They can spin it any way they like, but their actions reveal they are not objective journalists and are in fact sycophants to a person eminent generals who worked closely with Trump describe as "a clear and present danger" to our nation's security. How do you "make nice' with a convicted felon who is a self-described tyrant? How do you spin your visit as a noble effort that somehow is in the interest of hard-hitting journalism? They must not give their former viewership any credit for having brains. Now have below zero credibility for me now and it can never be re-earned. I will never watch Morning Joe again.
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O
Kissing his ass … is unbelievable
They are no better than the kids ass republicans in congress! I’m done with them
1 1
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J
2 faced, and just plain traitor to the journalist who still have integrity and will not Kiss the A.. I mean Ring of the future King of FOOL'S
1 1
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R
Hold on a minute.
You’re telling me the same Democrats that were trying to get the Liberals to come to their side are Eating their Own because some have decided to move toward the center ?
Total agreement between the extreme left and extreme right is impossible.
An effort at some compromises is what all REASONABLE people are looking for.
5 6
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R
I think Joe is trying to justify himself and his and Mika’s action. There is no fight in them. Thank God for Nichole Wallace, Rachel Maddow & Lawrence O’ Donald. Whatever happened to speaking truth to power. If everyone kisses the Trump Ring America will have a dictator in office. By his cabinet choice it looks like Trump plans to run the country like a reality T.V; show. Joe and Mike are just trying to save their own butts. Used to have a lot of respect for the two of them but now I see they just are out to save their own asses and to hell with speaking their minds or maybe they have been Trump fans a along!
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O
OF COURSE nobody is saying how classy and gracious Trump is to even take a phone call from them.
5 17
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P
That’s not gracious. He loves anyone who goes down there and kiss the ring.
27 5
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O
You mean he loves anyone who goes down. And that's not just a joke, it's the truth: narcissists can't get enough attention.
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O
🤣 They're not saying how thin, coherent and good-looking he is either. Get it now?
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