In an unexpected development, MSNBC’s top morning show hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough have revealed that they held a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The meeting, which took place just days after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, aimed to “restart communications” and discuss a “new approach” following Brzezinski and Scarborough’s vocal opposition to Trump’s campaign.
The news came as a surprise to many, given the Morning Joe hosts’ long-standing criticism of Trump during his first term as president and throughout the 2024 campaign. Brzezinski and Scarborough, who are married, had been among the most prominent liberal voices in the media landscape, frequently clashing with Trump and his supporters.
A Controversial Meeting
During Monday’s broadcast of Morning Joe, Scarborough revealed that he and Brzezinski met with the president-elect to discuss a range of contentious issues, including “abortion, mass deportation, threats of … retribution against political opponents and media outlets.” While acknowledging that they “didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues,” Scarborough emphasized that they expressed their concerns directly to Trump.
We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues, and we told him so.
Joe Scarborough, Morning Joe host
Brzezinski, for her part, defended the decision to meet with Trump, asking rhetorically, “why wouldn’t” they engage in a dialogue with the incoming president. She stressed that despite their “deep concerns” about Trump’s rhetoric and the January 6th Capitol attack, they felt compelled to explore a different approach in light of Trump’s electoral victory.
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.
Mika Brzezinski, Morning Joe host
Trump’s Response
In an interview with Fox News, President-elect Trump claimed that it was Brzezinski and Scarborough who requested the meeting at Mar-a-Lago. He described the conversation as “very positive,” asserting that the hosts had “congratulated” him on his successful campaign.
The president-elect’s characterization of the meeting stood in contrast to Brzezinski and Scarborough’s account, which emphasized their efforts to voice concerns and challenge Trump on various issues. The divergent perspectives underscore the complex and often contentious relationship between the media and the Trump administration.
Backlash and Criticism
The revelation of the meeting between Brzezinski, Scarborough, and Trump drew swift condemnation from some liberal viewers and commentators. Critics accused the Morning Joe hosts of legitimizing and normalizing Trump, arguing that engaging with him would only serve to further his agenda.
Normalizing Trump is a bad idea. Period.
Katie Phang, MSNBC host
Others, like journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, went further, characterizing the meeting as a “betrayal” of MSNBC colleagues, democracy, and the public at large. Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, a vocal Trump critic, lambasted Scarborough as “the worst person I’ve ever encountered in this business.”
A Shift in Strategy?
Despite the backlash, Brzezinski and Scarborough maintained that their intention was not to “defend or normalize” Trump, but rather to engage in a dialogue and provide insights to their viewers. Scarborough cited an unnamed source close to Trump who claimed that the president-elect would not seek a third term, a constitutionally fraught proposition that had been the subject of speculation.
This is a president who is not seeking re-election.
Joe Scarborough, citing an unnamed source
The Morning Joe hosts also called for political leaders on both sides of the aisle to find “common ground” in the wake of a bitterly divisive election. This appeal for bipartisanship and dialogue, however, rang hollow to many critics who viewed the meeting as a capitulation to Trumpism.
An Uncertain Future
As the dust settles on the 2024 election and the nation grapples with the prospect of a second Trump term, the role of the media in holding the powerful accountable has come under renewed scrutiny. The meeting between Brzezinski, Scarborough, and Trump has exposed deep divisions within the liberal media ecosystem, raising questions about the efficacy and ethics of engagement with a president who has repeatedly attacked the press as “the enemy of the people.”
For Morning Joe and its hosts, the decision to meet with Trump represents a high-stakes gamble. While Brzezinski and Scarborough may hope to influence the president-elect and provide a platform for critical discourse, they risk alienating a significant portion of their audience and undermining the credibility of their network.
As the nation enters uncharted territory, the evolving relationship between the media and the Trump administration will undoubtedly shape the contours of American democracy in the years to come. The meeting at Mar-a-Lago may prove to be a turning point, but the direction in which it will lead remains uncertain.
