On Monday, the bulk of Morning Joe was spent discussing the abhorrent terrorist attacks in Orlando over the weekend. However, rather than proposing bi-partisan solutions, Brzezinski and Scarborough seized the moment to push MSNBC’s agenda of divisive political partisanship. Less than forty-eight hours after the massacre, and the network capitalized on their viewers’ grief by directing their anger at the Republican Party. This time, they went too far.
SCARBOROUGH: I would love to see a press conference on Capitol Hill today, by Republicans –
BRZEZINSKI: All of them.
SCARBOROUGH: And Republicans only, saying that the way to beat ISIS is by pulling Muslim Americans more deeply into the fabric of America, as we have done for years. In a way that France has never done, Frank. In a way that England has never done. And the way that other European countries have never done. That is the genius of America. We are the melting pot. But that narrative seems to be turned on its head right now. And I'm waiting for elected leaders in Washington, D.C. to stand shoulder to shoulder and say, enough!
Many would love to see a press conference on Capitol Hill with all members of Congress present. Why aren’t Democrats included in this call for elected leaders in Washington? Scarborough, in the same sentence, called for a press conference with Republicans only, yet is “waiting for elected leaders in Washington, D.C. to stand shoulder to shoulder and say, enough.” This statement and this sentiment is fundamentally flawed.
Willie Geist and Washington Post’s David Ignatius joined in to pit viewers against Republicans:
WILLIE GEIST: David Ignatius, in the Republican primary, Donald Trump found rewards for saying the things he said, the Muslim ban, building the wall, all those things, and he won primaries because of it. The general election is a different matter entirely. Do you think by him coming out today and through the rest of the week in reaction to what happened in Orlando and talk about building walls and Muslim bans, that that will now hurt him instead of help him the way it did a few months ago?
DAVID IGNATIUS: …politicians are speaking to the fears that people have. And rather than trying to bring them together and have more sensible and inclusive policies, they're doing the opposite. I do think that we need to see this as a national security problem. What's breathing life into ISIS, around the world is this sense, this rhetoric that's coming from prominent politicians that confirms their view of the world, that Muslims are on one side, are discriminated against, and the world is ganging up on them. And that's, that’s going to give them life rather than squeezing them off. And people have to see that.
What about the rhetoric of MSNBC? It is reprehensible that the cable network even attempted to point the finger at Donald Trump and the Republican Party for any component of the terrorist attacks in Orlando. The terrorist pledged his allegiance to ISIS and was said to have outspoken hatred towards women and members of the LGBQT community. Shouldn’t the focus be on defeating ISIS?
Hate-filled, radical Islamic Jihadists like Omar Mateen, they are the ones who breathe life into ISIS.
View Full Transcript Here:
06-13-16 MSNBC Morning Joe
07:13:58 AM - 7:20:43 AM
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And that really goes, Mika, to what we were saying before, what Frank and I were talking about. Again, this is not just leveled towards one community.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: No.
SCARBOROUGH: It's an absolute hatred for all of our freedoms. And here, we heard specifically, from this former coworker, that the hatred mainly was leveled at women.
BRZEZINSKI: And that he was so disturbing, he left his job.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah. And that the rights of women –
BRZEZINSKI: He left his job.
SCARBOROUGH: Received. And again, it is a patchwork of hatred and resentment, because of the freedoms that Americans and those in the west are, are given.
WALTER ISAACSON (ASPEN INSTITUTE): Absolutely. And the stirring up of hatred, both at home and around the world. It's, it’s weird. I mean, we thought we were going through a progress in history in which the notion of just hating people, because of who they are, was receding.
BRZEZINSKI: That has been –
ISAACSON: And this has been disproved around the world. And unfortunately, even at home--
SCARBOROUGH: How?
ISAACSON: --the environment is getting more and more toxic.
BRZEZINSKI: How has that happened?
ISAACSON: I mean, you know, you see it on social media. You see it just unleashed, racism, you know, anti-gay
BRZEZINSKI: What's prompting it?
ISAACSON: ---anti-Muslim.
SCARBOROUGH: Where are the countervailing voices, though? Where are the strong leaders—
ISAACSON: I think, you know, there aren’t strong leaders in the world that used to tamp these things down.
SCARBOROUGH: Well why not?
ISAACSON: But now you're being allowed -- and Donald Trump is doing it -- to play to these things. To stoke it up.
SCARBOROUGH: Where is the countervailing force in the elected Republican party. Where is that force to go out and say –
ISAACSON: Actually, you have a lot of Republicans, and you have to give them credit. And you know you saw it in Deer Valley with the Mitt Romney group this weekend, who are speaking out and just appalled by the hateful rhetoric that has been stoked up by Donald Trump. But somehow, it’s not, you know, America has gotten more fragmented. And –
SCARBOROUGH: I would love to see a press conference on Capitol Hill today, by Republicans –
BRZEZINSKI: All of them.
SCARBOROUGH: And Republicans only, saying that the way to beat ISIS is by pulling Muslim Americans more deeply into the fabric of America, as we have done for years. In a way that France has never done, Frank. In a way that England has never done. And the way that other European countries have never done. That is the genius of America. We are the melting pot. But that narrative seems to be turned on its head right now. And I'm waiting for elected leaders in Washington, D.C. to stand shoulder to shoulder and say, enough!
FRANK BRUNI (NYT): Absolutely. I was so glad that Walter mentioned Mitt Romney's name. But as you were mentioning it, and I've been very impressed by everything Mitt Romney has said recently and I think it's a wonderful contribution. But I do wonder, where was the strength of that language four years ago? Some of the Republicans who have stepped up in the right way and challenged the divisiveness of
Donald Trump, where was that passion and where were those words four years ago, eight years ago? One of the, one of the great things that could happen from Trump, if he doesn't succeed and go all the way, is that the Republican party has done some real soul searching here and realized that words matter, that actions matter, and that they really have to kind of step up to what they want to say is the vision of who they are.BRZEZINSKI: Mm-hmm.
WILLIE GEIST: David Ignatius, in the Republican primary, Donald Trump found rewards for saying the things he said, the Muslim ban, building the wall, all those things, and he won primaries because of it. The general election is a different matter entirely. Do you think by him coming out today and through the rest of the week in reaction to what happened in Orlando and talk about building walls and Muslim bans, that that will now hurt him instead of help him the way it did a few months ago?
DAVID IGNATIUS: His comments immediately after the shootings may have seemed to people to have been opportunistic and an attempt to say "I told you so," but so those may have hurt him. But I do think that there is a real danger in our general election campaign of the same kind of politics that we're seeing in Europe, in France, in, in Germany, in Austria, in Britain, where people are speaking to -- politicians are speaking to the fears that people have. And rather than trying to bring them together and have more sensible and inclusive policies, they're doing the opposite. I do think that we need to see this as a national security problem. What's breathing life into ISIS, around the world is this sense, this rhetoric that's coming from prominent politicians that confirms their view of the world, that Muslims are on one side, are discriminated against, and the world is ganging up on them. And that's, that’s going to give them life rather than squeezing them off. And people have to see that.
BRZEZINSKI: We're going to look into this on our own. But I say to Republicans in Washington, how many of you are for the Muslim ban? How many of you would stand up and say you are for the Muslim ban? Because if you are, I’d like to hear it. I would like to really hear what is behind that logic at this point. And why you would stand with Trump on that. And why would support Trump if he is for a Muslim ban, given everything that we've learned.
SCARBOROUGH: And given that every expert on ISIS, including General Hayden, General Hayden, telling us, that it only empowers ISIS. That sort of rhetoric only strengthens ISIS. And only encourages people to feel like they don't belong to our society. That they aren't full Americans.
ISAACSON: That's what ISIS is trying to stoke up.
SCARBOROUGH: Of course.
ISAACSON: They're playing right into the hands.
SCARBOROUGH: That’s what they’re trying to soak up. And we saw it last week or the week before, as it had to do with a judge, born in America, from Indiana, being called a Mexican because his parents came here from Mexico. And now, we have Donald Trump talking about banning Muslims. That were born in New York and live in Florida.
BRZEZINSKI: I’m going to say it again.
SCARBOROUGH: Republicans, stand up and be counted. Now is the time you can't hide. Stand up and be counted!
BRZEZINSKI: And as I know I've said this a few times before, but I don't understand Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House, who could endorse a candidate who's for a Muslim ban and who has said the things that he has said about a judge and won't retract and won't apologize and won't even understand the racist quality of the statements.
SCARBOROUGH: Actually, he doubled down at the worst possible time yesterday. I'm talking about Donald Trump doubled down, congratulating himself and then talking about doubling down on the Muslim ban.
BRZEZINSKI: At this point, I'm sort of shaken by the whole thing. I really can't believe we're here.
SCARBOROUGH: Frank Bruni thank you so much for being with us, we greatly appreciate it. Everybody needs to read your piece yesterday. Extraordinarily important.
