Joe Scarborough is known for being a diehard Republican who will cheer just about anything a member of the GOP says or does. But now his unbridled love for all things involving Donald Trump may put his television career in jeopardy.
CNN reporter Dylan Byers spoke with several highly-placed sources within MSNBC and was told that Scarborough’s fawning on-air attitude towards Trump is making many at the network very uncomfortable:
“In background discussions, NBC News and MSNBC journalists, reporters and staffers said there was widespread discomfort at the network over Scarborough’s friendship with Trump and his increasingly favorable coverage of the candidate.
“‘People don’t like that Joe is promoting Trump,’ one MSNBC insider said. Others described Scarborough’s admiration for Trump as ‘over the top’ and ‘unseemly.’
“Four of those sources also said that the growing media scrutiny over the two men’s relationship has caused the network’s leadership to more closely monitor Scarborough’s comments. ‘The higher-ups are definitely aware about what’s going on,’ said another person within MSNBC. ‘It’s an issue.'”
In just the past couple of weeks, Scarborough has had the following to say about Trump:
- “A masterful politician”
- He has called Trump “brilliant” and insinuated that Trump has created a new form of political discourse that cannot be beaten by either party.
A report in the Washington Post stated that Trump has received “a tremendous degree of warmth from the show,” and that his appearances on the show tend to feel like “a cozy social club.”
As if all this isn’t more than enough to call into question Scarborough’s questionable objectivity, he has also admitted that he helped Trump prepare for debates.
As for the reputation of MSNBC, which has been flagging ever since the takeover by Comcast, this kind of worship of one Presidential candidate can only further degrade what little credibility the network has thanks to on-air stars such as Rachel Maddow.
So don’t be surprised if Joe Scarborough is tossed over the side of the MSNBC ship before he manages to drive the entire vessel into the rocks.