Trump Attacks 'Morning Joe' on Truth Social; Scarborough Responds Live on Air
President Trump posted a Truth Social attack on Joe Scarborough and 'Morning Joe' while the show was airing Wednesday morning, prompting Scarborough to read the post aloud on air with sarcastic commentary. The attack came shortly after the panel discussed New York Times reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, including excerpts from a forthcoming book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The real-time exchange highlighted tensions over Epstein-related reporting and Trump's sensitivity to the subject.
During Wednesday's broadcast of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe,' President Donald Trump posted a lengthy Truth Social message calling the show 'ever shrinking' and 'low rated,' accusing host Joe Scarborough of suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome,' and claiming the program was being cut due to poor ratings. The post, which received over 11,000 likes and 2,500 ReTruths, was published around 7 a.m. ET, moments after the panel discussed New York Times reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein and previewed content from a forthcoming book by journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. Scarborough interrupted the segment to read Trump's words aloud, responding with sarcasm and pushing back on the TDS characterization, saying, 'I just state the facts, and maybe that makes you deranged.' The panel speculated that the Epstein discussion likely triggered Trump's post, a theory supported by co-host Jonathan Lemire, who noted Trump subsequently posted about U.S. military strikes on Iran. Haberman and Swan's reporting, previewed in a magazine article Wednesday, alleged that Trump 'wanted the whole thing buried' regarding Epstein files and that the White House had become consumed by managing the fallout. Scarborough closed the segment by addressing Trump directly, invoking a New Year's Eve pledge to pray for the president and urging him to embrace peacemaking. MSNBC had recently trimmed 'Morning Joe' by one hour as part of programming changes.
What's missing
Neither source clarifies the specific ratings data behind Trump's claims or MSNBC's own explanation for the 'Morning Joe' hour reduction, leaving it unclear whether the programming change was ratings-driven or part of broader scheduling decisions.
How coverage differed
The New York Post framed the segment with a tone emphasizing Scarborough's mockery and the entertainment value of the exchange, while Newsweek provided more substantive background on the Epstein reporting and its political context, including details about the Haberman-Swan book and Republican Party divisions over the Epstein files.
What different sources said
- NewsweekCenter
'Morning Joe' Responds Live to Trump Attack After Epstein Discussion
- New York PostRight
‘Morning Joe’ Scarborough cracks up over Trump’s Truth Social attack on air: ‘Did Donald just write us?’
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