In a rare moment of journalistic integrity, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough called out Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) to his face for claiming President Trump “took advantage of young girls” without evidence. The awkward confrontation on Friday’s Morning Joe concerning an elongated scandal surrounding unreleased files on late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein demonstrated the extent of liberal hatred for Trump, despite having not yet uncovered any actual proof of wrongdoing.
When answering a question about how the Democratic Party should message itself going forward into the midterms, Moulton portrayed the Trump administration as a protector of billionaires and criminals. Moulton suddenly swerved into accusatory territory, for which Scarborough scolded him:
MOULTON: If you are one of the people, like him, who took advantage of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein, then we're gonna, sort of, make that go away.
[…]
SCARBOROUGH: We don't have evidence that he took advantage of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Massachusetts Representative, who recently started a campaign for Senator, sheepishly admitted the lack of proof needed to condemn the President but pettily implied it to be obvious. Having sensed weakness, Scarborough pressed Moulton down even further:
MOULTON: Right, right, right. Just common sense be damned.
SCARBOROUGH: I'm not saying common sense be damned, I'm saying facts, let's look at the facts. Is he in the Epstein files?
MOULTON: He's obviously in the Epstein files.
Moulton tried to defend himself by echoing the claim that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) won’t swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) to prevent forcing a vote to release the files, which would presumably prove Trump’s guilt. Scarborough acknowledged the micro-controversy, but insisted, “… but you said […] he took advantage of young girls. You have no — you have absolutely no evidence of that.
The Morning Joe namesake then dragged co-host Jonathan Lemire into the debate by asking him to fact-check Moulton on what’s publicly known surrounding the Epstein files. Lemire mentioned Trump’s previous friendship with Epstein and the alleged birthday card he sent, but ultimately backed up Scarborough, “… he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. […] That's the point you're trying to make.”
Scarborough also brought up the book written by late Epstein victim Virginia Gieuffre, in which “she never saw him around there. And I'm not doing his bidding, I'm just saying there's enough things to talk about Donald Trump without talking about […] what's not been proved.”
After Moulton reverted to a more basic argument about fighting for everyday Americans (which he should have stuck with), Scarborough reiterated how irresponsible Moulton was, urging him to stand on business if he really meant what he said:
I just, again, just want to be very clear there's enough to talk about Donald Trump and — without making that assumption. If you want to make that assumption, you can do that on the floor, the House floor. And if you have documents on it, then I’m sure the American people want to see that.
Got to give credit where credit’s due. The other co-hosts likely would have rolled over or ignored Moulton’s careless accusations, but Scarborough refused to be complicit with defamatory speculation. Or perhaps, with MSNBC soon to be going solo from NBCUnivsersal, they might not have a war chest big enough to take a hit from a defamation suit, like the one they settled back in April.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" read:
MSNBC’s Morning Joe
October 31, 2025
6:22:36 a.m. EST
(…)
WILLIE GEIST: I'm curious for you, though, Congressman, just sort of big picture. You just touched on some of the issues at the center of these two races, but then looking ahead to the midterm elections, just a clear message from Democrats about what's happening in the country right now. Whether you want to talk about the expiration of the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, taking away people's health care with the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, hospitals closing, and urban and rural parts of the country, red and blue, it just, frankly, being too expensive to live in this country. As you see it right now, what is the most effective message for Democrats in this moment?
REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): The Democrats are here to help working people in America, and Republicans are here to protect the billionaire class. And what you see time and again from this White House, you know, if you're a criminal, you're gonna buy your way to freedom with Trump.
If you are one of the people, like him, who took advantage of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein, then we're gonna, sort of, make that go away. I mean, fundamentally —
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Well, we —
MOUTLON: — Speaker Johnson.
SCARBOROUGH: We don't have evidence that he took advantage of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein.
MOULTON: Right, right, right. Just common sense be damned.
SCARBOROUGH: I'm not saying common sense be damned, I'm saying facts, let's look at the facts. Is he in the Epstein files?
MOULTON: He's obviously in the Epstein files. And the reason that, fundamentally, Speaker Johnson has us on vacation is because he does not want to seat the newly elected Democratic Representative —
SCARBOROUGH: Right, but you said —
MOULTON: — from Arizona.
SCARBOROUGH: — he took advantage of young girls. You have no — you have absolutely no evidence of that.
MOULTON: I think it's pretty obvious that that's what’s going on here.
SCARBOROUGH: You think it's pretty obvious?
MOULTON: I do. And I think —
SCARBOROUGH: Jon.
MOULTON: — it's pretty obvious to the Republicans —
SCARBOROUGH: Jon Lemire —
MOULTON: — to the Republican Party.
SCARBOROUGH: — any reporting on this?
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Well, we know that he's friends with Epstein. We know the —
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
LEMIRE: — birthday card was in there. I mean, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
SCARBOROUGH: No.
LEMIRE: That's the point you're trying to make. But, also, certainly here we know that Speaker Johnson has kept the house out of session in large part to not seat the woman, the Congresswoman-elect from Arizona, who would provide the decisive votes to release more material. So, yes, certainly, that would be — and, you know, any association further embarrassing for Trump, but we don’t know —
[Crosstalk]
SCARBOROUGH: And, also, the book, the book that Virginia Giuffre wrote said he was — she never saw him around there. And I'm not doing his bidding, I'm just saying there's enough things to talk about Donald Trump without talking about —
MOULTON: Well, fine.
SCARBOROUGH: — what's not been proved.
MOULTON: But the bottom line is that his administration, whether they're protecting Trump or whoever else, they protect people who can buy their way to the White House. That's what this administration is all about. And I think that all the rest of America who recognizes that, you know, there are people who play by one set of rules and people who play by the rest.
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
MOULTON: There are people who are getting tax breaks, there are people who can buy pardons, and there's all the rest of us —
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
MOULTON: — just trying to afford a home, that's a reality for Americans today. And the more that Democrats can speak to that other America, the real America, actually, the people who are trying to play by the rules and get ahead and maybe even just be able to go on vacation once a year —
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
MOULTON: — then we're gonna help them out. And that's what —
SCARBOROUGH: Well, I mean, that makes sense. There's a long leap from that to what you said. I just, again, just want to be very clear there's enough to talk about Donald Trump and — without making that assumption. If you want to make that assumption, you can do that on the floor, the House floor. And if you have documents on it, then I’m sure the American people want to see that.
(…)
