MSNBC staffers lash out at 'Morning Joe' co-hosts meeting with Trump: 'Disgusting but frankly unsurprising'

MSNBC staffers are lashing retired astatine "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski aft they shocked their wide viewers by revealing their caller Mar-a-Lago gathering with President-elect Donald Trump. 

"Cowardice," 1 MSNBC worker reacted to Fox News Digital. "Doing precisely what [anti-Trump historian] Tim Snyder warns connected our aerial not to do: obey successful advance. It’s disgusting but frankly unsurprising."

The root said MSNBC's fertile and record are present "largely disdainful" of the network's greeting stars, saying it "feels similar they are conscionable opportunistic."

‘MORNING JOE’ CO-HOSTS HOLD FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH TRUMP FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS'

"Morning Joe" hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough sermon their gathering with President-elect Donald Trump past week.

Others person taken to societal media to dependable their objections. MSNBC contributor Jennifer Rubin called it "disgusting" connected Bluesky, the X-like societal media tract increasing successful popularity with progressives. MSNBC big Katie Phang offered an indirect swipe, posting connected X, "Normalizing Trump is simply a atrocious idea. Period."

"Katie Phang is right. It’s normalization (and it’s entree bulls---)," the MSNBC worker told Fox News Digital. "Journalists don’t request entree to their subjects to clasp them to account. None of it is believable. The evident reply is believable: they are opportunists."

The insider expressed concerns that MSNBC volition look important blowback arsenic a effect of the Mar-a-Lago, gathering with left-wing viewers already lashing out. Some already calling for a boycott of the network. 

"This feels serious," they said. "I can’t ideate [parent company] Comcast minds this development. But the MSNBC radical do."  

MSNBC did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment.

Another web insider defended the gathering and its goals to Fox News Digital, saying they recovered the disapproval "curious" fixed the hosts challenged Trump astatine the gathering connected his rhetoric and positions.

"Not definite erstwhile going successful to dependable concerns astir threats against journalists and politicians was a atrocious thing," they added.

Scarborough appeared to expect backlash to the gathering connected Monday morning.

"We're not present to support oregon normalize Donald Trump," helium told viewers. "We're present to study connected him and to hopefully supply you insights that are going to amended equip each of america successful knowing these profoundly unsettling times."

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FILE - Then-Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump speaks during a run event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, successful Mint Hill, N.C.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Scarborough and Brzezinski person emerged arsenic 2 of Trump's fiercest critics ever since helium took office, a implicit reversal of the narration they had with him during the GOP superior successful 2016. 

Friday's gathering was the archetypal clip they had seen Trump successful 7 years, Brzezinski said, and Scarborough added that they didn't spot "eye to oculus connected a batch of issues, and we told him so." Scarborough said they went implicit specified topics arsenic abortion, mass deportation, and threats of retribution against governmental opponents and media outlets. The meeting, according to the hosts, was astir an statement to "restart communications."

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"For those asking wherefore we would spell talk to the president-elect during specified fraught times, particularly betwixt us, I conjecture I would inquire backmost – wherefore wouldn’t we?" Brzezinski said. "Five years of governmental warfare has profoundly divided Washington and the country. We person been arsenic wide arsenic we cognize however successful expressing our heavy concerns astir President Trump’s actions and words successful the coarsening of nationalist debate. 

"But for astir 80 cardinal Americans, predetermination denialism, nationalist trials, January 6, were not arsenic important arsenic the issues that moved them to nonstop Donald Trump backmost to the White House with their vote. Joe and I recognize it’s clip to bash thing different, and that starts with not lone talking astir Donald Trump, but besides talking with him."

Scarborough and Brzezinski often interviewed Trump connected their amusement during the 2016 Republican primary.  (REUTERS/Scott Morgan)

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Trump spoke with Fox News Digital connected Monday astir the "extremely cordial" gathering helium had with the MSNBC hosts.

"I received a telephone from Joe Scarborough requesting a gathering for him and Mika, and I agreed that it would beryllium a bully happening if specified a gathering took place," Trump said successful an interview. "Many things were discussed, and I precise overmuch appreciated the information that they wanted to person unfastened connection … In galore ways, it’s excessively atrocious that it wasn’t done agelong ago.

"The gathering ended successful a precise affirmative manner, and we agreed to talk successful the future," helium added.

Fox News' David Rutz and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.