Morning Joe is going to let Trump back on the show.

[madaboutharry]

I don't know what to think about this. This decision needs to come with a commitment to hold him accountable.

I have to hold hope that neither Mika or Joe are going to permit Trump to engage in Gish galloping propaganda screeds.

If there is push back and if there is holding Trump accountable for dictatorial behavior and unconstitutional policies, as they are claiming will be the case, then maybe it will be a good thing.

My prediction: Trump will get push back and then refuse to appear on their program.

I guess we will find out.

[Emile]

1. Mika and Joe spent the weekend with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Excuse me while I go throw up.

[madaboutharry]

2. I think the jury is out.

I do think that it is important to report and engage. Maybe that includes talking to the enemy. There is an argument to be made that talking to Trump again will shine more light on the danger he poses to the nation.

I do not think that they are embracing him in any way. They know who he is and the hate everything about him.

Joe is at the moment trashing him.

[Mike 03]

9. Based on what you are reporting maybe

it can work.

I have a feeling of revulsion about it, thinking back to the grotesque personal attacks T made against Mika. It should be her call, not Joe's or some producer's or the CEO or owners of the network. I have such mixed emotions, but in truth it probably won't affect me as I haven't watched MSNBC since election night.

But your opinion carries a lot of weight with me--you have good judgment so maybe it is for the best in some way I can't understand yet.

I'm happily surprised by how easy it is to stop watching cable news.

[madaboutharry]

19. As I said, I don't know what to think about this.

The media has proven to be such weaklings, allowing Trump to bulldoze over them in order to maintain access. That is the concern here. On the flip side, Mika and Joe know that if they allow Trump to get away with his demented bullshit that they will lose all their credibility, which they don't have a lot of to begin with.

Thank you for thinking I have good judgement. Not everyone would agree. 🧐

[travelingthrulife]

20. There is no point to talking with Trump. None whatsoever.o

[Texin]

55. "Talking" with/to him is about as useful as trying to reason with a Walk-Don't Walk sign.

And, honestly, I'm shocked he'd even be out of bed that early in the morning.

[Demsrule86]

70. I don't believe that and MJ is dead to me.

[madaboutharry]

71. OK, that is perfectly reasonable.

Frankly, I probably won't be watching Morning Joe anymore either. I don't think I can bear seeing Joe and Mika treat Trump like he's normal.

[dem4decades]

3. Trump can go on every news show, I won't see him. Now if he appears in an old Perry Mason, I've got a problem.

[FormerOstrich]

59. My very favorite show....

but I disagree....I think Perry could best him and expose him to all for what he really is.

The show aside, I think Raymond Burr was a great man. Everything I have ever read about him has made me admire him more.

[H to HE]

4. bye bye

turned it off the second she said talking with trump

[FarPoint]

5. This only validates my decision....

To no longer, ever, to watch MSNBC CNN or any legacy media/political propaganda... I imagine they, the hosts have been given orders to do so.... oh well...

[OrlandoDem2]

6. I watched it. My head is spinning. No idea what to think.

If Trump appears on their show and they don’t eviscerate him then, well, the whole world really is upside down.

[Emile]

49. Exactly+1

[Seeking Serenity]

7. I heard that Comcast was looking to sell MSNBC and some other of its media properties

Does anyone know if that's under serious consideration, or was that all just media fear- and rumour-mongering?

[Mike 03]

13. I read this too.

They talked about "spinning off" MSNBC, attempting to make this sound like a positive development for the network.

Beneath the Comcast umbrella are several properties they want to get rid of. But this is also an opportunity for an entity that dislikes MSNBC to buy and kill it. Another thing that may happen is the talent would be asked to accept new contracts below what they expect, which is another way to destroy or irrevocably change MSNBC in a less obvious, ostentatious way.

Except for Fox, television news seems to me to be in big trouble. Especially CNN.

[cadoman]

31. doesn't make a lick of sense

There are far more Democrats than Rethuglicans. More Rethugs may watch TV for their news, but don't let anyone gaslight you into thinking MSNBC isn't a property similar in value to Fox.

Right now we are shooting ourselves in the foot to some degree with the MSNBC boycott. They need our eyeballs. I go ahead and turn all the TVs to it even if I'm not watching.

CNN though--don't get me started. Shows the fallacy that is bother-siderism.

[radical noodle]

52. I agree

I've seen a Fox article crowing about the decrease in viewership of MSNBC, claiming that it's a sign that people are leaving the Democratic party and liberalism is dying.

[maxrandb]

15. Leon, or whatever the fuck Musk his name is, will buy it

[BigMin28]

27. The Loon

Or Apartheid Clyde. They both suit him perfectly.

[Mike Nelson]

8. Their tone...

... has changed. They are "normalizing" again. They should join Don Imus and give the morning show to Joy Reid.

[Mike 03]

10. See, this is exactly what I am afraid of

The constant normalization, even by people he has viciously, personally attacked. That abused spouse metaphor comes to mind.

[allegorical oracle]

44. Agree. This morning I distinctly sensed a shift toward "well, he's uncontrollable but he

did win the election by a wide margin." Struck me as the thin edge of the wedge to return to some interview-friendly relationship. (And that's before I saw his MALago interview news here on DU.) The ratings game turns TV hosts into whores.

[Macrophylla]

11. Well now

Just in time to remind me why I haven't watched cable news since the election.

[RandiFan1290]

26. MSNBC was just as subservient to W Bush over 20 years ago.

Nothing has changed.

[malaise]

12. It's Morning JoeScum for a reason

That is all

[2naSalit]

32. Glad that...

I never watched it in the first place!

Now I'm sure to purposely avoid it.

[Liberal In Texas]

14. I think Joe's attempting to get ahead of possible ruinous liable litigation when T sues the

crap out of him and possibly has him arrested for dissing the Dear Leader.

Make no mistake, T is going to go after the media personalities that have criticized him or continue to criticize him. He has said he wants liable laws like they have in other countries. We have been fortunate, so far, that it's very difficult to sue for liable if you're a public figure or politician.

[Hope22]

18. Well Joe is really stuck in a hard place...

Do this evil person's bidding or risk him hollering out about the dead intern again! Hard times. I can’t watch the show so I hope people turn him off so better programs can replace this, what is it, three hour debacle of a show!

[oswaldactedalone]

30. Libel

Carry on.

[Liberal In Texas]

72. Oops. Spell checker doesn't help with everything. LOL.

[snowybirdie]

16. I thought of this

Morning Joe turnabout as a plea to please watch me. Probably ordered to do it by the bosses to stem the loss of viewers since rtump won the election. Sorry but they can't spend years revving up their audience against the orange man and expect us to just accept their decision to normalize. Money drives every decision. I'm done!

[BigMin28]

28. If they think

That will stop the stem of viewer losses, they are even farther removed from reality than I thought.

[marble falls]

17. Rationalization is the mother of situational ethics. Never did like Joe. I think Mika has Stockholm Syndrome.

[JohnSJ]

21. Glad I am on a news blackout since the election and the foreseeable future. The MSM media will be falling right in

line with his propaganda. There will be no pushback or holding the sociopath's feet to the fire.

You will never see the way the rabid press treated President Biden treat the orange sociopath. There will never be a foaming at the mouth jake tapper spewing his venom toward Biden during the Afghanistan withdrawal, age issues, or the sociopaths cognitive decline.

Most of the illustrious press will be falling right in line behind the fascist normalizing him with very little pushback.

Much of the reason we are where we are today is because of the laziness and ineptness of our illustrious media.

The writing was on the wall with their complete lack of accountability in their reporting about the WMDs where they actually went out of their way to push that lie, with very little coverage from inspectors and others contradicting that claim. The press has a lot of blood on their hands.

Instead of investigating the facts when Comey sent the letter to the republicans 11 days before the election, they had no problem reporting that the email investigation was reopened. That was a LIE, and for the next week they proceeded to parade every right wing pundit across their outlets propagating that lie, and late Friday the weekend before the 2016 general election, when comey quietly came out and said there was nothing new to merit the reopening of the email investigation, it was hardly covered after 7 days of non-stop coverage pushing the lie that the email investigation was reopened.

The press in my view will completely capitulate and normalize the sociopath during the next four years.

[madaboutharry]

22. This is all so depressing.

It may be up to those outside of the MSM to tell the American people the truth.

It does feel like we are dealing with a news media that operates like the state media under the Soviets.

[JohnSJ]

24. I think most of the press in the US will fall in line. It is not journalists job to become friends. For the last eight

years we have seen what trump is, and I won't be surprised if they all fall in line like dominos.

The choices were clear in 2016, 2020, and clearer than ever in 2024.

Look at the so-called press conferences trump had with in the last year. Except for the Black Journalists of American, there was absolutely no push back or accountability from these clowns that represent the US press Corps today.

I learned a long time ago that when someone says he will do something, no matter how bad, believe them.

We have lost the right to choose, the Civil RIghts Act and voting Rights Act have been slowly whittled down, corporations are people, and while the Biden administration was trying to undo the changes to trump destruction of our planet, you can bet that it will now continue full steam ahead.

It is depressing. We will see how things develop, but I suspect if there is anyone in the press tries to hold him accountable, he will gish gallop them and the press will not be persist with any follow-up.

[allegorical oracle]

65. Joe's not a journalist; he's an opinionated morning host with guest journalists. nt

[Botany]

34. I don't see DU having a big future.

[Emile]

23. Switched channel to CSpan.

[MiHale]

25. They're all going back to what they used to be...

They’re fearful of retaliation from him. Be loyal little servants to the dictator if you want to live more or less comfortably. Hope they have knee pads.

[bamagal62]

29. I watch my local morning news

For the weather. Then, I turn it off. I’m done for now.

[Botany]

33. The coup is complete. The corporations that sandbagged Hillary, Biden, and Harris are now in charge.

Along with Russia, Musk, right wing billionaires, and Christo Facsist shits.

Joe and Mika are now like the young Ukrainian woman whose parents were murdered by Putin’s
war who had to stand behind Putin and bawl her eyes out @ pro Ukrainian War rally In Moscow.

We are so fucked.

America July 4th, 1776 to November 5th 2024

Btw thanx Joe for your work in helping w in bush v Gore in stopping the recount in Florida 2000 which got us to this hellscape. And Mika so much for your empowering women schtick how can you look yourself in the mirror? Please do your tearful act about women bleeding out in hospital parking lots because of Trump and company.

[Vinca]

35. My impression of this was that it was a preemptive move to avoid the roundup of journalists.

It won't work, of course. If Dear Leader wants them, he'll go after them.

[ThePartyThatListens]

36. Scarborough was among the first in the white mainstream media to have Trump on

He had him on the phone and was cackling w/him ever since he came down those escalators.

Don't forget, Scarborough is a Republican and a hardcore conservative.

He's the center of the Establishment.

Always keep that in mind.

[allegorical oracle]

45. Absolutely. Used to see him on C-SPAN when he was in the House. He sounded every

bit as rabid as Gaetz and Green at times -- screaming and ranting. Couldn't stand him. Likewise, have always been skeptical of his political shape-shifting.

[Freethinker65]

38. It's a political entertainment show and depends on ratings. Should Trump desire, he will be allowed to spew.

Remember the daily free airtime COVID briefings? Trump will, once again, have free reign of most media, otherwise he will threaten to "shut them down"

One can hope that over exposure of Trump could actually be his downfall.

[appmanga]

39. They're trying to save their asses from the dictator.

This is how authoritarianism works. People get cowed, compliant, and co-opted in an attempt to avoid the wrath of the dictator.

Welcome to the "Resistance".

[ificandream]

41. Much as I hate this idea, it's something that has to be done.

We can't let his RW media lemmings and their propaganda be the only source of news and information for the next four years. Real media will engage him. The question, I think, is whether he'll allow them to engage him. Given the way he and the GOP have acted since 2016, he may basically only appear on friendly media. And if the worst happens and he somehow does something to the MSM (keeping his RW media the only source of information), we will have real proof of what he's going to do.

[sop]

42. Like many here, I stopped watching (consuming) all network and cable tv news quite a while ago.

It's not the Free Press or the Fourth Estate, it's corporate media. What they practice is not journalism, or truth-telling, it's propaganda in service of corporate ownership's economic interests.

[orwell]

43. So glad I turned this crap off...

...years ago.

We are being moved around like a herd of sheep by the Oligarchs. This is performance art.

You have nothing in common with these millionaire, blow-dryed, blowhards.

You fill a user demographic, that is all.

You are being played...

[CTyankee]

46. Let's see what they actually DO, not what they say they will do.

I think they are willing idiots for Trump and therefore suspect at all times. But I was glad to hear them say what they said this morning. Whether they will follow through and report the truth remains to be seen. They may face prison time if Trump gets his way with turning our government into a dictatorship.

[louis-t]

47. A guy who says he will put journalists in prison

for disagreeing with him will probably get a walk back from Joe and Mika. I don't think they will be as harsh on him, starting now. He might even back out if he thinks they will be tough on him. He is a coward, after all.

[Evolve Dammit]

48. Spineless. Criminal mob boss calling shots for 9 years

[bucolic_frolic]

50. Both sides are insane. They'll go anywhere the spotlight shines.

[luvallpeeps]

51. Is this like humoring the kidnapper in a hostage situation

until someone can go upside his head with a club?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

53. Modeling acquiescence.

[AkFemDem]

54. I don't watch cable news- I have never seen their show

I've never seen any of the shows mentioned here on MSNBC, CNN, even the ones made fun of at Fox, etc. I haven't had cable tv in a few decades now, and I don't miss it. I personally think the 24 hour news cycle and the way editorial programs were taking over cable news right about when I exited are a big part of the world's problems.

So all that said- is this show a "report the news" show or an editorial type show? The vibe I always get here is its an opinion type editorial show- and if so, there/s ZERO reason to indulge him by putting him on the air.

If OTOH this was a straight interview type program (think Barbara Walters circa 1999...) then it would make sense to want to interview the soon to be leader of America, good bad or ugly.

[voteragain]

56. words

I'm past words.

I'm looking at deeds.

what is to stop the billionaire class from having hostile takeover of the media? they just had a hostile takeover of a country.

there is no maybe for me when it comes to the media....I will reserve their words for action by them.

they share responsibility for what is going on now by doing all their both siderism instead of telling the truth.

trump was their baby from the get-go. I smell money and the possible lack of it is more of their concern when they take their first sip of morning joe.

[karin_sj]

57. I couldn't believe this, so I googled it

And was surprised to see that it was true. In one way I think it's hopeless and a waste of time, and on the other hand, I look at it as a desperate effort to try and mitigate at least some of the damage he is obviously going to inflict on America. Here's a link to a video of Joe and Mika discussing this:

I doubt that it will do any good, but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures...

[liberalla]

58. Trump won't submit to questioning and criticism. He won't appear after perhaps one time.

[Doodley]

60. Let's write to Morning Joe! Here are the email addresses:

[e-mail].
[e-mail]
[e-mail].

[LetMyPeopleVote]

61. I am very disappointed in Joe and Mika

Link to tweet

WOW! And so it begins:

Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski normalizing Donald Trump after meeting with him at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. This is how we got President Trump the first time. They learned nothing.

I’m posting the entire segment so folks can decide for themselves.
Also sharing in the thread a summary of Trump’s second-term agenda

[RANDYWILDMAN]

62. Bad idea equals normalizing insanity

not gonna go well, telling you now, if they, the media had made a big Deal of this dope from get go, he would not be here. HE should be in jail and Joe and Mika know this as well....

You know, how I know THE MSM MEDIA
The nuked Nixon Barely
They Nuked Carter
They Nuked Mondale
They Nuked Dukakis
They Nuked Hart
They Nuked Edwards
They Nuked Dean
They Nuked Hillary
They Nuked Biden
They Nuked Kamala

All of those people are infinitely better including that crook Nixon, then Trump and yet all they have done for 10 years is normalize him and down play his insanity

Now they just want to be nice to him so he will come on their show...Fuck that and them.

[Emile]

63. No longer will I be watching Morning Joe after this.

They can go pound sand for all I care. Cowards.

[Loryn]

64. Still happy with my decision to get rid of cable after the 2000 election

The talking heads continue to yammer on without me.

[misanthrope]

66. Like most all celebrity journalists

Their esteem and privilege is most important. That means doing whatever it takes to retain "access" and most certainly it means avoiding malevolent retribution from a dictator.

[Cha]

67. Sounds like a very Slippery Slope

to me... Good luck America!

[bdamomma]

68. Kiss ups

that is all.

[Demsrule86]

69. I deleted everything off of MSNBC. They were marginally better than Fox or CNN but not

enough. They are owned by GOP Billionaires calling the shots. I will watch no cable news nor will I read the NYT or Washington Post. Fuck them all.