It was on Friday that Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough was upset that Louisiana Senator John Kennedy called Speaker Nancy Pelosi "dumb." But that was then and this is now. Apparently, Scarborough doesn’t remember what he says from day-to-day. On Monday, he was up to his old tricks questioning whether President Trump is a Russian agent or simply a useful idiot.
In talking about whether or not Trump should go to Moscow next May for a parade that would commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Scarborough wondered, "I think, though, at some point the United States needs to recognize in a very public way the remarkable sacrifice the Russian people made in the defeat of Hitler, along with all of our other allies.”
Forgetting his defense of Pelosi, the MSNBC host added, “But I'm just wondering whether Donald Trump can actually be that president because of everything that's preceded it. And the fact that there are a lot of people in America who believe that Donald Trump is either an agent of Russia or at least a useful idiot."
Jeremy Bash agreed and tried to provide evidence of the accusation that Trump is "at least a useful idiot", declaring:
I just got back Friday from the Middle East from a country around Syria and the clear message was is that with America's withdrawal from Syria, who has moved in? Russia has moved in. Iran has moved in. They're threatening Israel, they’re creating a land bridge between Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon. Hezbollah is growing in strength, they’ve got a 100 precision guided munitions aimed at Israel, they’ve got armed drones, they’ve got a capability surrounding our ally in the region and this is all in part as they see through their eyes as America is withdrawing. You know, in the Middle East, they don't talk about Trump withdrawing. They say America is withdrawing. So, whatever the president has announced he's doing with Putin has been to the detriment of national security.
Bash and Scarborough showed why foreign policy analysis on cable news is so bad. First, there is no legal requirement that says the President of the United States must agree with Joe Scarborough on Russia. Ironically, Scarborough has, at times, crictized Trump for being too tough on Russia. Secondly, while a useful idiot is a different accusation than a traitor, they still did not provide evidence. Bash's entire response was one that was not well versed in history and gave an incomplete picture of current events.
If you're going to throw around the phrases "agent of Russia" or "useful idiot," then you better have solid evidence to back up your claim. Morning Joe did not and thus only made fools of themselves all while being hypocritical.
Here is a transcript for the November 11 show:
MSNBC
Morning Joe6:42 AM ET
JOE SCARBOROUGH: I this is Nikki Haley, again being careful, trying to have it both ways and making bureaucratic infighting, again, sound much worse than it is. I'm just curious, Jeremy Bash, what your thoughts are. I'm not saying Donald Trump should go to Russia. I think -- I think, though, at some point the United States needs to recognize in a very public way the remarkable sacrifice the Russian people made in the defeat of Hitler, along with all of our other allies. But I'm just wondering whether Donald Trump can actually be that president because of everything that's preceded it. And the fact that there are a lot of people in America who believe that Donald Trump is either an agent of Russia or at least a useful idiot.
JEREMY BASH: So let him lay a wreath at the World War II Memorial on the national mall. He doesn't have to go be Putin's prop in a May Day parade which is clearly just an effort by Putin to put his arm around Trump and say we're work together. And how is that going for America? I just got back Friday from the Middle East from a country around Syria and the clear message was is that with America's withdrawal from Syria, who has moved in? Russia has moved in. Iran has moved in. They're threatening Israel, they’re creating a land bridge between Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon. Hezbollah is growing in strength, they’ve got a 100 precision guided munitions aimed at Israel, they’ve got armed drones, they’ve got a capability surrounding our ally in the region and this is all in part as they see through their eyes as America is withdrawing. You know, in the Middle East, they don't talk about Trump withdrawing. They say America is withdrawing. So, whatever the president has announced he's doing with Putin has been to the detriment of national security.
SCARBOROUGH: Agree.
