When last week Mika Brzezinski said that she and Joe Scarborough would like to have a face-to-face meeting with Trump, I wrote:
"As for scoring an interview with Trump himself any time soon, don't bet the rent money at Polymarkets on it, Mika!"
Oy, was I wrong!
On today's Morning Joe, Mika announced that this past Friday, she and Joe did indeed meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. She described Trump as being "cheerful, upbeat, and interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues."
Mika and Joe apparently suffer from an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Mika said that whereas they and Trump disagreed on many issues,
"We did agree to restart communications. My father often spoke with world leaders with whom he and the United States profoundly disagreed."
Mika, two TV talking heads speaking with Trump ain't exactly Nixon goes to China!
Mika and Scarborough seemed intent on preserving their liberal-media street cred. Mika assured viewers that she and Joe would "will continue to speak truth to power, and push back hard when called for." And Scarborough similarly said: "Don't be mistaken. We're not here to defend or normalize Donald Trump. We're here to report on him."
Mika also proclaimed: "We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump's actions and words in the coarsening of public debate." Oh, so, MSNBC hasn't "coarsened" the debate with their incessant wild talk about Trump being a fascist who's going to end democracy? Mika uncorked this talk of America's "final hours" on The View just a month ago.
Mika did admit that her "hair on fire" approach to attacking Trump hasn't worked. And if Mika's hair has been on fire, Scarborough's entire head has been exploding for years. We'll see if the pair continue to restrain themselves.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
11/18/24
6:04 am ETMIKA BRZEZINSKI: So here is where we are. Over past week, Joe and I have heard from so many people, from political leaders to regular citizens, deeply dismayed by several of President-elect Trump's cabinet selections. And they are scared.
Last Thursday, we expressed our own concerns on this broadcast, and even said we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the President-elect himself.
On Friday, we were given the opportunity to do just that. Joe and I went to Mar-a-Lago to meet personally with President-elect Trump. It was the first time we have seen him in seven years.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: We talked about a lot of issues, including abortion, mass deportation, threats of political retribution against political opponents and media outlets. We talked about that a good bit.
And it's going to come as no surprise to anybody [chuckles] who watches this show, who's watched it over the past year or over the past decade, that we didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues, and we told him so.
MIKA: What we did agree on was to restart communications. My father often spoke with world leaders with whom he and the United States profoundly disagreed. That's a task shared by reporters and commentators alike.
We had not spoken to President Trrump since March of 2020, other than a personal call Joe made to Trump on the morning after the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In this meeting, president Trump was cheerful, he was upbeat, he seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues.
And for those asking why we would go speak to the President-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back -- why wouldn't we?
Five years of political warfare has deeply divided Washington and the country. We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump's actions and words in the coarsening of public debate.
But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, public trials, January 6th, were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote. Joe and I realized it's time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him.
SCARBOROUGH: As somebody close to Donald Trump told me this past weekend, this is a president who's not seeking re-election. So maybe, just maybe, now could be the time for both parties to get to work.
I know. Given the jarring headlines that we read every day, that may seem like a stretch. But think about this. Of the 150 million votes cast, Donald Trump got 50%. Kamala Harris got about 49%. So, I don't know, it seems to make sense for leaders of both parties to seek common ground, if it's possible at all.
And I will tell you, a lot of Democratic leaders we've talked to this past week, since the election, have told Mika and me, it's time for a new approach. And when I say top Democrats, I mean top Democrats. They said we're open -- and this was before we talked to Donald Trump -- they said, listen. We're open to working with the incoming president if the incoming president is open to working with us.
MIKA: Yeah. The question is, though, how do we get there? Hyperbole and personal attacks will not work. My hair on fire doesn't work. We've all seen that!
What also does not work is threatening political opponents with arrest, harassment, and even jail. That is a failed path. Recent history has proven that impeachments and trials turn those on trial into political martyrs, and only make them more popular with the American people. Just ask Bill Clinton and Donald Trump!
We know this will be a consequential presidency. The question is whether it will be constructive. It will take a new approach from all sides, from both parties, and a leader who can bring them together. And only time will tell if Donald Trump isthat leader.
As for us, we also let him know that we will continue to speak truth to power, and push back hard when called for, as we have with all presidents.
SCARBOROUGH: Don't be mistaken. We're not here to defend or normalize Donald Trump. We're here to report on him, and to hopefully provide you insights that are going to better equip all of us in understanding these deeply unsettling times.
And I am reminded of what Marty Baron, legendary editor told his Washington Post reporters back in the first term. We're not going to war, we're going to work.
