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Fast forward to November 18, 2024, and viewers were shocked when Brzezinski and Scarborough, who had spent years bashing Trump, appeared on-air to announce they had just returned from a trip to Mar-a-Lago, where they had met with Trump himself.
The announcement that they had traveled to Trump’s private club and met with him was both surprising and perplexing. It was the first time in seven years that the Morning Joe hosts had seen Trump in person, and their decision to meet with him seemed to defy everything they had previously said about him.
“We talked about a lot of issues, including abortion, mass deportation, threats of political retribution against political opponents and media outlets,” Scarborough explained, recounting the discussion. The tone of the meeting suggested a newfound willingness to engage with Trump, despite their long history of criticizing him and his policies.
Brzezinski went on to justify the meeting, saying that Trump seemed “interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues.” For those questioning why they would meet with someone they had spent years vilifying, she offered a simple retort: “Why wouldn’t we?”
Her words almost sounded like she was discussing an official diplomatic mission with a foreign adversary. “Joe and I realize it’s time to do something different. That starts with not only talking about Donald Trump but also talking with him,” she said, signaling a shift in approach that left many viewers stunned.
Scarborough attempted to defuse criticism by claiming that their meeting with Trump wasn’t an attempt to “normalize” him. However, this argument rang hollow given that Trump had won both the popular vote and the electoral college—legitimizing his position as president. Despite this, Scarborough insisted that the meeting was a way to “report on him” and “hopefully provide insights that are going to better equip all of us in understanding these deeply unsettling times.”
While Scarborough pledged to continue their critical coverage of Trump, he framed the meeting as an opportunity to better understand the man they had spent years demonizing. “We’re not going to war. We’re going to work,” he declared.
The Morning Joe hosts’ announcement was met with swift backlash from the Left. Many saw their sudden olive branch to Trump as nothing more than a cynical attempt to salvage their viewership. After the 2020 election, MSNBC’s ratings took a nosedive, with viewership plummeting by 54 percent in the week following Trump’s victory. This sharp decline came as many viewers, disillusioned by the network’s misleading coverage, turned away in droves.
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With their credibility damaged and ratings tanking, the Morning Joe hosts likely saw their meeting with Trump as an opportunity to mend fences and regain some lost audience. But in doing so, they exposed the network’s desperation and their own shifting allegiances.
The question remains: will MSNBC’s sudden shift in tone and their newfound willingness to engage with Trump lead to a lasting change in their coverage? Or is this simply a strategic move to claw back some of the audience they’ve lost? One thing is certain: Trump’s influence over the media, including outlets like MSNBC, is stronger than ever.
As the political landscape continues to shift, the Morning Joe hosts’ decision to visit Mar-a-Lago is a stark reminder of how much Trump still looms over the media—and how even his fiercest critics may be forced to reconsider their approach.
