The New York Times dared to publish an unflattering fact-check of President Joe Biden’s economic talking points on Wednesday and MSNBC contributor and former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill was infuriated about it. Reacting on Thursday’s Morning Joe, McCaskill did not care to rebut the substance of the article, but demanded that no newspaper fact-check Biden unless they first fact-check Donald Trump every single day on the front page. Ironically, this came immediately after co-host Joe Scarborough repeated some fake news of his own.
Scarborough believes that a lie is anything that differs from his rants. He previously stated that the U.S. military is in a better position today than at any other time since 1945 and anyone who disagrees hates the military. On Thursday, he repeated himself:
You look at every rating from around the world, rating militaries. The United States military: stronger than it's ever been relative to the rest of the world since 1945. There's not a close second. In fact, in the latest ranking I saw, Russia was second and Russia's military is collapsing. Russia was second to the U.S. military and yet, Donald Trump lies about America's greatness. Donald Trump lies about America's men and women in uniform.
As Scarborough was ranting, the chyron asked, “Do MAGA Republicans hate America?” but contrary to Scarborough’s hyper-partisan ramblings and uncritical happy talk, the idea that the U.S. military is losing its comparative edge is not simply a MAGA talking point. The 1945 part is worse than state-run propaganda because even the state doesn’t believe it.
Scarborough also claimed that “Donald Trump lies about what small business owners and entrepreneurs and the geniuses of Silicon Valley, the geniuses on Main Street USA, what they're all doing, what they've done to rebuild our economy after COVID.”
Finally getting to McCaskill, he wondered, “The lies. I don't understand it, Claire. Why do they bash America so much?”
McCaskill naturally agreed, “Yeah, and you know, the irony is, if you travel around the world, which I'm fortunate enough to have a chance to do several times a year, you know what the rest of the world sees right now? They see America with the strongest economy. They see America with the most advanced technology. America's universities still the brightest light on the horizon in terms of academics and research.”
After claiming the only bad thing about America and its reputation abroad is Donald Trump, McCaskill homed in on the Times, “Can I make a suggestion? I move that every newspaper in America quits doing any fact-checks on Joe Biden until they fact-check Donald Trump every morning on the front page. It is ridiculous that the New York Times fact-checked Joe Biden on something. I mean, he vomits lies, Trump vomits lies.”
She continued, “Every day, over and over and over again and it’s just ridiculous that the New York Times is doing a fact-check on Biden while they let Trump -- while they're numb to the torrent of lies coming out of Trump's mouth.”
Not only is it malpractice to only fact-check one side, but apparently the New York Times needs to start fact-checking Morning Joe as well.
Here is a transcript for the February 22 show:
MSNBC Morning Joe
2/22/2024
7:14 AM ET
JOE SCARBOROUGH: You look at every rating from around the world, rating militaries. The United States military: stronger than it's ever been relative to the rest of the world since 1945. There's not a close second. In fact, in the latest ranking I saw, Russia was second and Russia's military is collapsing. Russia was second to the U.S. military and yet, Donald Trump lies about America's greatness. Donald Trump lies about America's men and women in uniform.
Donald Trump lies about what small business owners and entrepreneurs and the geniuses of Silicon Valley, the geniuses on Main Street USA, what they're all doing, what they've done to rebuild our economy after COVID. The lies. I don't understand it, Claire. Why do they bash America so much?
CLAIRE MCCASKILL: Yeah, and you know, the irony is, if you travel around the world, which I'm fortunate enough to have a chance to do several times a year, you know what the rest of the world sees right now? They see America with the strongest economy. They see America with the most advanced technology. America's universities still the brightest light on the horizon in terms of academics and research.
They see American companies still exceeding in terms of their global reach. But you know what they look down their nose at? They look down their nose at Donald Trump being a leader. I mean, what everyone says when you travel, “well, you wouldn't elect him again, would you? Hasn't the country learned? You wouldn't ever give this guy power again, would you? Tell us that he's not going to be re-elected. Please, tell us you've learned your lesson.”
So the only blemish on the great country of America worldwide is, in fact, Donald Trump and can I make a suggestion? I move that every newspaper in America quits doing any fact-checks on Joe Biden until they fact-check Donald Trump every morning on the front page. It is ridiculous--
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
MCCASKILL: --that the New York Times fact-checked Joe Biden on something. I mean, he vomits lies, Trump vomits lies. Every day—
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Literally.
MCCASKILL: over and over and over again and it’s just ridiculous that the New York Times is doing a fact-check on Biden while they let Trump -- while they're numb to the torrent of lies coming out of Trump's mouth.
