"Terrific!"- Biden "hit it on the head!"
- "About time!"
- I'm "very, very, happy!"
The reviews are in from Morning Joe on President Biden's sore-throat attacks on Donald Trump over January 6th. And in comparison, they make Top Gun: Maverick sound like a flop!
The panel was ecstatic over Biden having referred to Trump as "the defeated former president," and then calling him out by name, saying that on January 6th, "Donald Trump lacked the courage to act."
With Joe and Mika away, Jonathan Lemire served as substitute host. He expressed amazement that Biden actually used Trump's name, which "underscores the passion he felt about this particular moment." Maybe—or something his handlers thought would be helpful. Biden's true passion seems reserved for hair-sniffing and tackling triple-scoop cones.
Former Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill insisted "he needs to really get on offense about this. I mean, the president has spent too much time in the last six months on defense!...So I thought it was terrific."
Lemire pointed out to Al Sharpton that Biden "also said you can't be both pro-cop and, pro-insurrection." As if the Defund the Cops Democrats who were okay with the 2020 riots were consistent? It's always amusing to throw questions about causing riots to Al Sharpton, who's spurred some death and destruction of his own.
SHARPTON: I thought that was a very appropriate and timely statement . . . It was more than appropriate, and I thought it was needed coming from the President of the United States . . . I thought the president hit it on the head, and he had to call the name of who was leading that charge.
"MSNBC Republican" Elise Jordan unwittingly gave away the Democrats' political strategy. She said it was "about time," and that Biden's remarks were especially timely because, "the country is so primed to talk about it, and receptive, after just hearing so much searing testimony." After it's been aired live in primetime twice on every liberal media outlet .
Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson said thought he didn't need to stoop to this, but "he needs to address it head on. And he needs to address it aggressively. And so I was very, very happy to hear him doing that."
Maybe Biden felt he didn't need to do much of it himself because he had every liberal media outlet doing the hit pieces and angry editorializing for him.
The Morning Joe panel lavishly praising Biden was sponsored in part by Discover, Meta/Facebook, and Xfinity.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
7/26/22
6:00 am EDTJONATHAN LEMIRE: We begin with President Biden taking a direct at former President Donald Trump for his inaction during the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
JOE BIDEN: Every day, we rely on law enforcement to save lives. Then, on January 6, we relied on law enforcement to save our democracy. We saw what happened. The Capitol police, the D.C. Metropolitan police, other law enforcement agencies, were attacked and assaulted before our very eyes. Speared, sprayed, stomped on, brutalized and lives were lost.
And for three hours, the defeated former President of the United States watched it all happen. As he sat in the comfort of the private dining room next to the Oval Office. While he was doing that, brave law enforcement officers were subject to the medieval hell for three hours. Dripping in blood, surrounded by carnage. Face-to-face with a crazed mob that believed the lies of the defeated president. The police were heroes that day. Donald Trump lacked the courage to act.
LEMIRE: President Biden doesn't talk about January 6th often, nor does he talk about his predecessor often. We've heard him use the phrase, defeated former president.
But also, in a very rare moment, Claire McCaskill, he used Donald Trump's name! Which I think underscores the passion he felt about this particular moment. What was so striking to you about, frankly, pretty unusual remarks from the current president?
CLAIRE MCCASKILL: Well, I was -- I think it's good. He needs to say out loud the part that everyone is seeing in plain view. And he needs to really get on offense about this. I mean, the president has spent too much time in the last six months on defense! He needs to get on offense. And I thought yesterday was a good sign . . . So, I thought it was terrific.LEMIRE: And Rev, Reverend Al, He also said you can't be both pro-cop and, pro-insurrection.
AL SHARPTON: I thought that was a very appropriate and timely statement . . . It was more than appropriate, and I thought it was needed coming from the President of the United States . . . I thought the president hit it on the head, and he had to call the name of who was leading that charge.
ELISE JORDAN: It was about time. He really did need to directly address it. Especially now, when the country is so primed to talk about it, and receptive, after just hearing so much searing testimony.
. . .
EUGENE ROBINSON: I think that President Biden believed that when he was in office, he believed he could, that this would kind of self-correct. That Trump would sort of fade away, and he'd be able to get the nation back on track, you know, whether it's heading in a liberal direction or a conservative direction, but
back on track, the way it was pre-Trump.And I think he's now realized--I hope he's now realized--that, no! This is a deeper, or a more serious problem. And he needs to address it head on. And he needs to address it aggressively. And so I was very, very happy to hear him doing that.
