ABC, CBS and MSNBC on Wednesday all gloated at the chaos unfolding in Britain as Prime Minister Boris Johnson fights to bring Brexit to Britain three years after the country voted for it. ABC offered scare-mongering warnings, saying that “critics” say “liar” Johnson will bring down the British economy with a no-deal Brexit. MSNBC’s Morning Joe predictably cheered rebel Conservatives who have voted to delay (yet again) Brexit, saying they are more honorable than American Republicans who back Donald Trump.
On ABC’s Good Morning America, reporter James Longman touted liberal talking points about how apocalyptic a hard Brexit would be: “They have done this because they fear leaving without agreement would wreck the UK economy, slash house prices and leave millions jobless.”
Asked what Johnson thinks of all this, Longman cited “critics” who dismissed the Conservative Prime Minister as a liar:
Well, he was visibly furious and he said threatening no deal is the only way to get a good deal from Brussels. But his critics will say he's lying and that no real effort is being made to talk to Europe.
Over on CBS This Morning, reporter Mark Phillips gloated at this setback for Johnson: “Not a good start at all for Boris Johnson, the man President Trump said would do a great job as prime minister. In his first test since taking office, he lost.”
On Morning Joe, Scarborough hailed the rebel Tories (24 out of 310 Conservative members of Parliament) who voted to upend Brexit yet again. Of course, he compared them to Republicans in American who “blindly follow” Trump:
It is so striking, though the difference in character between conservatives in the UK and conservatives in America. You actually had 24, again, cross party lines yesterday, and vote to do what they thought was in the best interest of their country. And here we have, well, people who call themselves conservatives, day in and day out, just blindly following Donald Trump. And it really was striking yesterday just the difference between, again, conservatives in those two countries.
In a sentence, however, Scarborough acknowledged the problem for anti-Brexit forces in Britain. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a bigoted, far-left extremist: “Labour has Jeremy Corbyn, a guy who is just an absolute disaster, talk about socialists, an anti-Semite. He's the worst of the worst.”
Back in July, the networks excoriated Johnson after he became prime minister, deriding the “buffoon,” and “Boris the clown.”
Transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more:
CBS This Morning
9/4/19
7:16 AM ETMARIA ELENA SALINAS: British politics are in chaos this morning after a stunning setback for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Opposition lawmakers are trying to pass a law to stop Johnson from taking Britain out of the EU without a divorce agreement. The so called no-deal Brexit could send shock waves through the world economy, including the U.S. Mark Phillips is outside parliament in London. Mark, what does this mean for the Prime Minister?
MARK PHILLIPS: Well, good morning. When Boris Johnson came into office, he said he had a plan for getting Britain out of the European Union. Talk tough, and if he didn’t get a deal, walk away no matter what the consequences. Well, it turns out the consequences for him and the country are not great.
UNIDENTIFIED: The ayes to the right, 328, the nos to the left, 301.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Not a good start, Boris!
PHILLIPS: Not a good start at all for Boris Johnson, the man President Trump said would do a great job as prime minister. In his first test since taking office, he lost
JOHN BERCOW (Speaker of the House of Commons): So, the ayes have it.
PHILLIPS: The vote means Johnson's one negotiating card, his threat to walk away from the European Union at the end of next month with or without a new trade deal is now effectively off the table. Johnson's response, to threaten to call an election.
BORIS JOHNSON: I don't want an election, but if MPs vote tomorrow stop negotiations, then that would be the only way to resolve this.
PHILLIPS: The opposition's response, bring it on. But only after a no-deal Brexit is no longer an option.
JEREMY CORBYN: He wants to motion the table for a general election. Fine, get the bill through first.
PHILLIPS: Boris Johnson no longer has a majority in parliament. The MPs in his own party who voted against him have been kicked out including, by the way, the grandson of Winston Churchill. An election now seems the likeliest outcome and as for Brexit, it seems it’s ready for another delay. Anthony?
Good Morning America
9/4/14
7:14 AM ET
MICHAEL STRAHAN: We got to go overseas now to the political turmoil in the UK where new Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a major defeat in the battle over Brexit. Foreign correspondent James Longman is in London with the latest. Good morning, James.
JAMES LONGMAN: Yeah, good morning, Michael. America's closest ally in absolute turmoil this morning. Boris Johnson actually on his feet as we speak at the moment and possibly the quickest loss for any prime minister in over 100 years, lawmakers at Parliament have voted to take control away Boris Johnson’s government. By doing that, they've given themselves the power to stop the UK leaving the European Union without a deal. They have done this because they fear leaving without agreement would wreck the UK economy, slash house prices and leave millions jobless.
You can hear demonstrations here. Emotions are running very high. And take a look at this dramatic moment, one of Boris Johnson’s own party members standing up during his speech and crossing the floor to join the opposition. That now means he's lost his majority and has pushed out a further 21 members of his own party for voting with the opposition. And all this matters because it makes an election and possibly a new prime minister much more likely this morning, Michael.
STRAHAN: Wow, I mean, what a move for them to cross the aisle. James. What is prime minister Johnson saying about all this?
LONGMAN: Well, he was visibly furious and he said threatening no deal is the only way to get a good deal from Brussels. But his critics will say he's lying and that no real effort is being made to talk to Europe. Three years from the Brexit referendum and this country is no closer to leaving the European Union, Michael.
Morning Joe
9/4/19
6:36 AM ETJOE SCARBOROUGH: Labor has Jeremy Corbyn, a guy who is just an absolute disaster, talk about socialists, an anti-Semite, he's the worst of the worst.
6:40 AM ET
JOE SCARBOROUGH: It is so striking, though the difference in character between conservatives in the UK and conservatives in America. You actually had 24, again, cross party lines yesterday, and vote to do what they thought was in the best interest of their country. And here we have, well, people who call themselves conservatives, day in and day out, just blindly following Donald Trump. And it really was striking yesterday just the difference between, again, conservatives in those two countries.
