On Tuesday's edition of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the show dedicated a significant portion of its runtime to dissecting Donald Trump's inaugural actions, particularly his controversial pardoning of the January 6th rioters. The conversation, which pit married co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough against guest Donny Deutsch, quickly escalated in tension.
Ali Vitali, the host of "Way Too Early," commented on the President's decision to pardon over 1,500 individuals charged with crimes during the January 6th, 2021, Capitol riot, stating, "The ease of executing such a massive pardon with just a penstroke underscores a stark reality for both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, as well as everyone across Washington and beyond – whether they support him or not, this is the new normal."
Scarborough responded by noting that Democrats were "discretely reminding themselves" of Trump's narrow victory over Vice President Kamala Harris by a mere 1.5% in the popular vote for the 2024 presidential election, and highlighted the GOP's fragile one-vote majority in the House and three-vote edge in the Senate.
At this juncture, Deutsch, a marketing expert, interjected, observing that while these numbers may offer some solace, "[Trump] has effectively seized the pulse of America." Brzezinski couldn't resist interrupting, recalling Trump's perplexing decision to stand alongside families of Israeli hostages while metaphorically referring to the January 6th rioters as "hostages" during Monday's Inauguration Day ceremonies.
"If America's heartbeat resonates with the imagery of hostage families and former hostages standing in his wake, that marketing ploy is indeed something else," she remarked, clarifying, "I'm referring to January 6th." Deutsch pressed on, "People will swallow it hook, line, and sinker because he gives them exactly what they crave in other aspects of their lives.
"I urge Democrats to learn that even the most absurd actions can be justified if you're delivering what the masses want to hear," he added. Scarborough seized the moment to compare Trump to a corrupt Caesar, saying, "He's offering them bread and circuses, just as they did in Roman times. It keeps them entertained. But beneath that veneer, he's systematically breaking norms, one after another," he emphasized.
Brzezinski and Scarborough's critique of the President's inaugural moves arrived just over two months after the duo faced severe backlash from liberals for privately visiting the then-President-elect Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in November. Critics accused Scarborough and Brzezinski of normalizing, and even validating, Trump's actions through their unofficial visit. Harsher voices labeled their actions as "bowing down" and "kissing the ring" of the incoming President, fearing potential future repercussions.
