Morning Joe Tries To Get Its Credibility Back By Kicking Rick Scott Off The Show

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:49 pm

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MSNBC’s Morning Joe has given Donald Trump and unlimited and virtually uncontested platform to spew his gibberish and hate, but after coming under increased scrutiny, the show tossed Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott off of the air after he refused to answer a question about whether he believes Islam hates America.

Video:

Scarborough asked if Gov. Scott agreed with Donald Trump’s statement that Muslim’s hate America. Scott dodged the question by calling Florida the best melting pot in the world, and talked about the Syrian refugees.

Scarborough tried again, “No, no, no, I don’t want to know what’s going on in Florida. I want to know what’s going on in your head, Governor. We’re friends. I want you to answer the question. Do you think personally think that Islam is a religion that hates America?” Scott avoided answering the question for a second time, “So Joe, what I can tell you, in our state we have a lot of Muslims that live in our state, we have a lot of Latin Americans who live in our state, we all get along. We love people moving to our state and coming here as tourists. We’re a great melting pot that is what I can tell about our state.”

You could hear Brzezinski telling a producer to wrap it, and after Scott’s non-answer she said, “No, No, that’s not answering any questions. Rick, Rick, I know you and Joe are friends and this is a little awkward. Can you answer the question or should we just scoot?” Scott refused to answer for the third time, and the segment ended.

If any other cable news show were so tough on Scott, they would deserve praise, but the whole segment along with their outrage about Trump’s Islam comment reeked of damage control. Scarborough and Brzezinski heard all of the criticism of their soft balling of Trump, so they set out to show that they can be tough. The setup was made obvious when Brzezinski let the audience know that Rick Scott is friends with Joe Scarborough, with the implication being that Joe and Mika can put friendships aside, like their reported one with Trump, and objectively do their jobs.

Scarborough and Brzezinski will redeem themselves if they are ever as hard on Trump as they were on Gov. Scott. What the corporate media doesn’t get is that they can’t fawn all over Donald Trump and give him virtually unlimited airtime, but also turn around and condemn his remarks. Morning Joe can’t have it both ways. Scarborough and Brzezinski helped to create Trump as a political figure. Donald Trump considers Morning Joe a friendly outlet.

Viewers have a right to be skeptical towards this sudden burst of journalism on Morning Joe. If Scarborough and Brzezinski and want credibility, kicking Rick Scott off of the air isn’t going to cut it.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association