Appearing on CBS’s Late Show Monday night, aired early Tuesday morning, MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski joined liberal comedian Stephen Colbert in predictably trashing President Trump on everything from impeachment to Iran. The trio were “hopeful” Trump will “pay for all the lies.”
Colbert began the friendly chat by of course asking about impeachment, wondering if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s strategy of withholding the Articles of Impeachment from the Senate was a “smart thing.” Brzezinski declared: “I don’t think she’s thinking about that. I think she was doing what she felt she needed to do.”
Scarborough heaped praise on the Democratic leader, claiming the failed gambit was actually a great success:
I thought it was a great move. She actually created space. You know, in soccer, you talk about making space for the players. She actually made space, and in that space, Republicans actually got a little bit nervous. You had Bolton, of course, coming out saying he could testify. The longer that went on, you looked at the polls, it showed more and more Americans wanted to hear the testimony. So now we’re hearing today there’s a possibility that you may have some Republican defectors in the Senate actually demanding that they hear –
His comments were greeted with cheers and applause from the liberal audience. Colbert chimed in: “That would be great.”
Citing an op-ed Scarborough recently wrote for The Washington Post about impeachment, Colbert asked: “Who needs the courage here?” Brzezinski quickly remarked: “Like every Republican.” Scarborough was eager to lecture members of Congress:
I mean, I think every Republican. I also think Democrats, as far as understanding that what they’re doing is not about 2020, what they’re doing is about history, it’s about sending a message to future presidents, it’s about sending a message to future politicians.
Moments later, the ex-Republican Congressman turned left-wing MSNBC anchor ranted: “It’s what I don’t understand, what job is worth selling your political soul for?” Maybe Scarborough should answer that question for himself before putting it to anyone else.
Later in the discussion, Scarborough asserted:
But you now, one of the things that frustrates me is you hear the common refrain, “When is Donald Trump going to pay for this? When is Donald Trump gonna pay for all the lies? When is he going to pay for the recklessness?” The American people have proven he already has and he will again. The 2018 election, there was a reason why, in the House, Republicans lost by the largest vote landslide in the history of the republic.
Colbert chimed in: “That’s hopeful. That’s a hopeful idea.” Scarborough agreed: “Well, that is a hopeful idea.”
Switching topics, Colbert announced: “Well, let’s talk about Iran and the recent sort of destabilizing of that region and the world. A lot of people are nervous all over the place about what’s going on there.”
Brzezinski offered a conspiracy theory to explain the U.S. air strike against Iranian terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani: “I initially thought that this was, you know, one of his major deflections.” Colbert clarified: “That perhaps it was so we wouldn’t talk about impeachment? You thought that was one of the things he was doing?” Brzezinski continued pushing her unfounded claim: “You know, we’ve always wondered how far he would go to distract from what is going on.”
She then slammed the national security decision: “The Secretary of Defense did not have any information on the basis for this attack, but trusts the President. I mean, we’re in crazy town and it’s around the world now and it’s adjusting our entire place in the world.”
Scarborough later touted unspecified polls showing “Americans are scared” and “were against the strike.”
Colbert bitterly whined: “I sort of am offended that they’re not actually trying to get their lies in order and put a unified face on the lie....it says to me we don’t matter, our opinion doesn’t matter about what they do, that I’m insulted as an American.”
Apparently the opinions of the wealthy liberal media elite are just not as important as the three of them would like.
Here are excerpts of the January 13 interview, aired early on January 14:
12:05 AM ET
(...)
STEPHEN COLBERT: Impeachment looms.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Yes, when she’s ready.
COLBERT: When Ms. Pelosi is ready.
BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.
COLBERT: Okay. She says she’s going to send it over this week, the Articles of Impeachment. Do you think that was a smart thing that she did to hold these back for a while?
BRZEZINSKI: I don’t think she’s thinking about that. I think she was doing what she felt she needed to do.
(...)
JOE SCARBOROUGH: I thought it was a great move. She actually created space. You know, in soccer, you talk about making space for the players. She actually made space, and in that space, Republicans actually got a little bit nervous. You had Bolton, of course, coming out saying he could testify. The longer that went on, you looked at the polls, it showed more and more Americans wanted to hear the testimony. So now we’re hearing today there’s a possibility that you may have some Republican defectors in the Senate actually demanding that they hear – [cheers and applause] that they –
COLBERT: That would be great.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
COLBERT: That would be great. I’ll believe it when I see it.
BRZEZINSKI: Exactly.
SCARBOROUGH: Right.
COLBERT: Joe, you wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post, Joe, in December, about “impeachment and courage.” Who needs the courage here?
BRZEZINSKI: Like every Republican.
SCARBOROUGH: I mean, I think every Republican. I also think Democrats, as far as understanding that what they’re doing is not about 2020, what they’re doing is about history, it’s about sending a message to future presidents [applause], it’s about sending a message to future politicians. And what I found at my very low level in politics when I was in the House, that when you’re not worried about the next election, remarkable things happen. People listen to you, people follow you. When they don’t think you’re calculating but you’re doing something because you think it’s the right thing, then they follow.
(...)
SCARBOROUGH: It’s what I don’t understand, what job is worth selling your political soul for? What job is worth doing? [applause] What so many of these Republicans are aware, where you can look at the people who are running in Republican primaries, and you can predict what they’re going to do. It’s – yeah, it’s very disappointing.
COLBERT: Well, let’s talk about Iran and the recent sort of destabilizing of that region and the world. A lot of people are nervous all over the place about what’s going on there. What does this mean for Trump?
BRZEZINSKI: Well, that’s a good question because I initially thought that this was, you know, one of his major deflections.
COLBERT: That perhaps it was so we wouldn’t talk about impeachment? You thought that was one of the things he was doing?
BRZEZINSKI: You know, we’ve always wondered how far he would go to distract from what is going on. And nobody seemed to really understand what was the basis for the decision and there are people saying, “Well, I didn’t really have the information.” The Secretary of Defense did not have any information on the basis for this attack, but trusts the President. I mean, we’re in crazy town and it’s around the world now and it’s adjusting our entire place in the world.
(...)
12:10 AM ET
SCARBOROUGH: But you now, one of the things that frustrates me is you hear the common refrain, “When is Donald Trump going to pay for this? When is Donald Trump gonna pay for all the lies? When is he going to pay for the recklessness?” The American people have proven he already has and he will again. The 2018 election, there was a reason why, in the House, Republicans lost by the largest vote landslide in the history of the republic. If you look at the polls – [cheers and applause]
COLBERT: That’s hopeful. That’s a hopeful idea.
SCARBOROUGH: Well, that is a hopeful idea. And also with Iran. I mean, yes, perhaps Donald Trump was cynical, but you look at the polls that have come out, Americans are scared. They’re nervous about this. Only one in four Americans believe that the attack on Soleimani makes America a safer place, and the overwhelming majority of Americans were against the strike, regardless of the fact I think most Americans understand that this was a really, really bad guy. But so is Kim Jong-un, so is Assad. There are a lot of really bad guys on Earth who –
COLBERT: Well, that’s what struck me about it is, yes, I’m not arguing whether Soleimani was, you know, a good person or a bad person. I trust that all the things that people say about Soleimani are accurate because they’re coming from all sides, but I sort of am offended that they’re not actually trying to get their lies in order and put a unified face on the lie.
SCARBOROUGH: They should really – they’re not even trying anymore!
COLBERT: Well, it says to me we don’t matter, our opinion doesn’t matter about what they do, that I’m insulted as an American. You know, as a Catholic, I put my dollar in the collection plate, I want to see some gold leaf on the walls.
SCARBOROUGH: Exactly.
COLBERT: As an American, I pay my taxes, I want them to put some energy into their lies.
SCARBOROUGH: If you’re gonna lie – yeah. [applause]
(...)
