‘Morning Joe’ hosts Mika Brzezinski, Joe – Business News
MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski mentioned she and her husband, Joe Scarborough, have maintained contact with President Trump since their headline-making go to to Mar-a-Lago after the 2024 election.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” the “Morning Joe” co-host was pressed about whether or not the couple continued to interact with the president following the non-public assembly that drew widespread criticism.
“Yeah,” Brzezinski answered.
Mika Brzezinski mentioned she and her husband, Joe Scarborough, have maintained contact with President Trump. SiriusXM
When Cohen expressed shock, she responded, “It’s called our job.”
Asked whether or not Trump remained indignant with the left-leaning pair, Brzezinski admitted she couldn’t at all times inform.
“I have a hard time answering that because he could be mad right now,” she mentioned.
She added that sustaining relationships with political figures is an element of reporting.
“I think it’s important to know the people that you’re covering and to have as much insight as possible.”
Brzezinski mentioned she and Scarborough have approached each administration the identical method.
Scarborough and his co-host spouse paid a go to to Mar-a-Lago to see President Trump within the weeks after the 2024 election. JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
“Every single president that we’ve covered, we have known and we have known everybody in the White House and tried our best to get as much insight on and off the record as possible,” she mentioned.
Her feedback have been the primary on-the-record acknowledgment that contact with Trump continued past their initial go to to his Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida, which was disclosed final November.
At the time, Brzezinski and Scarborough mentioned the assembly was meant to “restart communications” in a fractured political climate.
The revelation of that journey sparked backlash throughout media and political circles. MSNBC staffers voiced unease, progressive commentators accused the couple of hypocrisy and critics on social media charged that the hosts have been “normalizing” Trump after years of sharp on-air criticism.
Ratings for “Morning Joe” dropped within the weeks after the announcement.
Nielsen information confirmed a 15% decline in whole viewers and a more extreme 41% drop amongst adults ages 25 to 54, the demographic most carefully watched by advertisers.
The MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-host was pressed about whether or not she and Scarborough had continued to interact with the president. MSNBC
Brzezinski and Scarborough defended their determination on the time by arguing that entry is prime to journalism, even when it includes political adversaries.
They burdened that the assembly was not about endorsing Trump however about making certain they may report with full perspective.
The couple additionally mentioned privately that they feared doable retaliation from a Trump White House, given the president’s historical past of publicly focusing on perceived opponents. They described their outreach as each a skilled obligation and a safeguard.
Scarborough and Brzezinski on the US Open final week. REUTERS
The controversy shortly unfold past MSNBC. On “The View,” co-host Sunny Hostin accused the pair of “kissing his ring” and questioned their credibility as journalists.
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticized them for altering tone solely after their scores slipped, saying, “They saw their ratings.”
On Cohen’s show, Brzezinski additionally weighed in on Democratic politics, praising California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s use of social media to counter Trump.
Brzezinski mentioned she and Scarborough have approached each administration the identical method. Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
“Half of the stuff he does is freaking hilarious,” she mentioned.
“And then he’ll also, when talking about the issues, he’s dead serious. And he can articulate it probably better than anybody.”
She mentioned Newsom’s fashion resonated as a result of it combined humor with substance at a time when Democrats have struggled to ship constant messaging.
“He’s in the zone. And he’s not held back by anything. He’s just going for it. And it’s good to hear someone expressing some of the concerns that half of America might be feeling — maybe more, maybe more at this point,” she advised Cohen.
The Post has sought remark from the White House.
