The cast of MSNBC's Morning Joe like to view themselves as the defenders of truth and justice in an age when such ideals are supposedly under attack by President Trump. Any presidential hyperbole is condemned as a lie, while their own hyperbole is speaking truth to power.
As part of their panel on the Michael Cohen testimony, the morning show had on Cohen's friend Donny Deutsch who resurrected the old, evidence-free talking point that if Trump were to be impeached or lose in 2020, he would not go peacefully.
Deutsch declared that in 2016, "When he thought he was going to lose, he was teeing it up for a few days." He then went on to claim that Trump could do, "Whatever inner move you think this guy is capable of doing to create a civil war." He then said with a straight face, "I'm not speaking hyperbole."
Co-host Willie Geist agreed that Trump would not accept the results of the election were he to lose, "Does anyone doubt that Donald Trump would do that, even if he loses a free and fair election, that he'll start talking about voter fraud."
Blowing straight by the fact that Democrats have been blaming their losses on voter suppression for years and, since 2016, blamed Russian Twitter troll bots for anything that does not go their way, Deutsch said that Geist's prediction was too tame, "I'm taking it to the next level. [Cohen] said he won't leave in a peaceful transition. That's different than saying 'This was unfair.'"
The cast of Morning Joe loves to bash Trump for comments about caravans or say that he does not do enough to condemn terrorist plots to attack journalists and Democratic politicians, but then turn around to outrageously claim the President would be willing to start a civil war to stay in power. Their irresponsibility and hypocrisy truly knows no bounds.
Here is a transcript for the February 28 show:
MSNBC
Morning Joe
7:45 AM ET
DONNY DEUTSCH: I’ll tell you what Cohen did say and it’s really important, I think this is one of the most important things in his close and I’ve said the people who know Trump will understand this when he said Trump will not leave office in a normal…
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yes
DEUTSCH: …peaceful -- I said, Trump, you have to understand something. He did it in the last election. When he thought he was going to lose, he was teeing it up for a few days. If impeachment starts to happen, even if he loses an election, whatever inner move you think this guy is capable of doing to create a civil war, he will, I'm not speaking hyperbole, I didn't know Michael was going to say that, that was his warning as a guy who knows him better than anybody and I think we really have to pay attention to that.
WILLIE GEIST: Does anyone doubt that? Does anyone doubt that Donald Trump would do that, even if he loses a free and fair election that he'll start talking about voter fraud?
DEUTSCH: I'm taking it to the next level. He said he won't leave in a peaceful transition. That's different than saying “This was unfair.” Take it to that extreme.
