Controversy follows a recent meeting between MSNBC's "Morning Joe" hosts and President-elect Donald Trump, igniting calls for a viewer boycott.
Fox News reported that MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are facing backlash after their meeting with Donald Trump to discuss several contentious issues.
Last Friday, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the co-hosts of MSNBC's morning show, visited Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
The hosts revealed their visit on the following Monday, sharing their intention to mend fences and restart a dialogue with the president-elect after his recent election victory.
Their discussions covered a range of topics including Trump's views on abortion, mass deportation, and his previous threats against political opponents and the media. This meeting marked their first interaction with Trump in over seven years.
Despite their history of critically covering Trump, particularly his divisive political tactics and the coarsening of public discourse, Scarborough and Brzezinski took this step towards reconciliation.
Reacting to the news, Jennifer Rubin, a contributor for MSNBC and columnist for The Washington Post, expressed her disdain for Bluesky. She labeled the meeting "disgusting" and accused the hosts of betraying their audience's trust.
Rubin went further by calling for a boycott of "Morning Joe," suggesting that viewers could exercise their discontent by tuning out. Her reaction echoes a larger sentiment of frustration similar to previous media backlashes, such as the one faced by The Washington Post.
This stance was not immediately commented on by either MSNBC or Rubin when reached out by Fox News Digital.
Donald Trump described the interaction as "extremely cordial" and expressed appreciation for the open dialogue. He highlighted the breadth of topics discussed and his pleasure with the conversation's outcome.
"Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication ... In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago," Trump said. He confirmed their agreement to continue communications in the future.
Mika Brzezinski addressed the curiosity and criticism surrounding their decision to meet with Trump during such contentious times.
"For those asking why we would go speak to the president-elect during such fraught times, especially between us, I guess I would ask back – why wouldn’t we?" she questioned.
She reflected on the past five years of political conflict that has deepened divisions within Washington and across the country.
"We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump’s actions and words in the coarsening of public debate. But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, and public trials, on January 6, were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote. Joe and I realize it’s time to do something different, and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump but also talking with him," Brzezinski explained.
