MSNBC viewers are outraged at 'Morning Joe' for saying Republicans are gaining popularity because the economy is faltering



MSNBC viewers were outraged when the panel on "Morning Joe" reported on a new poll showing Republicans had an edge over Democrats because of the faltering state of the economy.

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski addressed a new poll from Siena College and the New York Times that showed Republicans gaining popularity. The poll found that 49% of likely voters preferred to vote for a Republican on a generic congressional ballot while only 45% preferred to vote for a Democrat.

"You have an overwhelming number of Americans believing that the country's going in the wrong direction," said Scarborough.

"And so that is becoming, as we get further and further into this campaign, that's becoming more of a burden on Democrats, especially after last week's terrible inflation report came out that showed inflation is still red hot," he added.

"You can deny reality but you can't escape it," responded Al Sharpton.

MSNBC was dismayed and angry that "Morning Joe" was aiding "fascism" by reporting on the poll.

"Dear everyone: F*** Morning Joe & Polls. Morning Joe was one of the ones that normalized Trump. Amazing how these numbers come out after most Republicans have been humiliated in debates the last two weeks huh?" read a popular tweet with more than 700 likes.

"Finally, @Morning_Joe and @JoeNBC himself now basically claiming voters vote on the economy first and nothing else--really, Joe? People are voting for fascism b/c economy? You been MIA for the past decade? Joe hides that the fascists have NO plan for inflation or gas prices," read another tweet.

"Media shows like #MorningJoe try to always do a Jedi mind trick. These polls are not accurate. They ask 700 ppl and try to tell us this is how the country is going to vote. Who are they asking anyway? As a black woman, I have never been asked in a poll who I'm voting for," said another critic.

"Here comes the mood killer. Who the f*** is moving because of crime?? Where are these people? Great so we’re going to lose our rights and democracy permanently because of temporary economic pain, and you’re helping it happen!! JFC," responded another viewer.

"Yet AGAIN, lying to viewers by calling these rabid, open fascists 'Republicans'. Now they're AGAIN saying inflation is the only thing that matters to voters," replied another viewer.

Other viewers were angry that the poll said abortion was not a top concern among likely voters despite the issue gaining prominence after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the pivotal Roe v. Wade decision that enshrined abortion rights.

Here's the outrageous segment on 'Morning Joe':

Republicans Have A Narrow Lead Weeks Before Midterms, Polling Showswww.youtube.com

Comedian Bill Maher says that he calls out the 'crazy section' of the left and 'there's a hunger to hear that'



Bill Maher noted during an interview on The Joe Scarborough Podcast that there is an appetite for comedy that calls out the "woke" elements of the political left.

He said that for the first time in his life he has been performing in front of audiences comprised of people from both sides of the political spectrum, whereas previously his audience was almost entirely liberal.

"For the first time in my life I am playing to a mixed audience. I was in Nashville about a month ago, and the audience was about 60-40 I would say, liberal to conservative. That never used to happen, never. And I think it's because, you know, ten years ago, in my opinion anyway, the left did not have a crazy section. There was no such thing as woke. And now they do have a crazy section which I call out, as a liberal. And I think I'm kinda one of the only people doing that. So, there's a hunger to hear that," Maher said.

"I think traditional liberals have had it with the far-left of their own party and they enjoy this too," he said.

Maher noted that during his Nashville performance when he made jokes about former President Donald Trump "there was a little grumbling and groaning, but not in a mean way," and that there was some of this as well when he mocked the left. "But everybody there was in a good mood, they were all laughing together."

The host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" noted that "unless you solve the hate problem, you will never solve any of our political problems. He said that "when somebody just hates the other person, you don't even listen to what they say, and you won't even entertain what their point is."

"This is a big country full of people who don't think like you, and that's ok. And, you know, if you just went to a ball game with them, and politics never came up, you would not know that you hated them so much. And we gotta get back to that," Maher said.

Bill Maher explains why he's playing to the first “mixed" audiences in his career and how Americans are hungry to h… https://t.co/1AdxymDP3S
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) 1633541179.0

Joe Scarborough tries to dunk on NY Times article that declared 'Our Saigon'  — but it quickly backfires



MSNBC host Joe Scarborough harshly criticized an article in the Sunday edition of the New York Times that called the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal "our Saigon."

Scarborough's rebuke, however, did not go over as planned.

What did Scarborough say?

The MSNBC host was reacting to a full-page spread of an essay in the New York Times' Sunday edition that compared the moral responsibility of evacuating Afghan allies to the moral responsibility of evacuating South Vietnamese allies in 1975.

"Please don't embarrass yourself by comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam or the events of the past week to Saigon in 1975. Dear Lord," Scarborough complained.

Please don’t embarrass yourself by comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam or the events of the past week to Saigon in 197… https://t.co/tDwVdPAAQp

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) 1629642636.0

Where did Scarborough go wrong?

Scarborough's attempts to downplay the connections between the humiliating evacuation from South Vietnam during the fall of Saigon and the current Afghanistan crisis did not land because of who authored the New York Times article he was criticizing.

The author of that article is Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who was present for the fall of Saigon in 1975.

In response to Scarborough's accusation, Nguyen both called him out for trying to score political brownie points and rebuked him for trying to silence the apt comparison.

"I'm not embarrassed @JoeNBC, because what I say is that the situations are different, except for the moral urgency in helping civilians and refugees. Either you misread or didn't read in your haste to score a point," Nguyen said.

Nguyen added, "You can be a Vietnamese American or refugee, published in the New York Times, and people still won't read what you wrote. Arundhati Roy put it best @JoeNBC: 'There's really no such thing as the 'voiceless'. There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.'"

I’m not embarrassed @JoeNBC, because what I say is that the situations are different, except for the moral urgency… https://t.co/UdJ6cLUUGw

— Viet Thanh Nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) 1629673091.0

As Nguyen also pointed out, Scarborough's reaction indicated he likely did not read the article.

That is because Nguyen, in fact, did not draw one-to-one comparisons between Afghanistan and Vietnam, but rather emphasized the moral component of rescuing Afghan allies.

"The Saigon analogy is important because the urgency and the human disaster are similar as is the role that the United States and other nations must play to shape those fates of Afghans," Nguyen wrote in his essay.

Nguyen explained the U.S. has a moral imperative to do with Afghanistan what Congress did with Vietnam: rescue the vulnerable and accept refugees.

"In April 1975, the United States recognized its moral responsibility and evacuated about 130,000 Vietnamese people, and then accepted hundreds of thousands more from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in subsequent decades," Nguyen wrote. "This is what must happen now, and anything short of such a vision of responsibility and hospitality will compound the American failure in Afghanistan."

How did Scarborough respond?

Scarborough apologized to Nguyen and explained that his criticism lay with the New York Times, not Nguyen, whose article he praised.

"My apologies. My words were not directed toward you or your moving, persuasive article. It was directed at the NYTimes editors who chose to stamp the words 'Our Saigon' on the single image dominating the front of the Sunday Review. Your piece on page 4 is a must read," Scarborough said.

My apologies. My words were not directed toward you or your moving, persuasive article. It was directed at the NYTi… https://t.co/EYe6xmMKi7

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) 1629677078.0

"I've been bothered this week by those who have tried to draw a neat analogy between the hell the Vietnamese people suffered for decades and the tragedy the Afghans are enduring now. You never did that, and I never thought you did," he added. "I've spent most of my life inspired by the lives of Vietnamese refugees and grateful for what they've contributed to America. I am hopeful that we will allow our allies from Afghanistan to do the same here in the coming years."

Pro-mask social media melts down over updated CDC guidance, vows to wear masks indefinitely: 'Empowering anti-maskers and anti-vaxers'



Social media users have come out en masse against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new guidance regarding masks, vowing to continue covering their faces indefinitely.

On Thursday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that fully vaccinated Americans can return to life without masks.

The directive was a full pivot from advice issued earlier in the month.

What are the details?

Many social media users responded to the announcement with concern, and in some cases, outright disdain.

Dr. Jason Johnson, MSNBC political contributor and radio host, wrote, "I will continue to wear a mask in closed buildings and restaurants thank you. [I]t's not an imposition on anyone else or doubting the CDC, it's just added caution."

I will continue to wear a mask in closed buildings and restaurants thank you 😷 👀 it's not an imposition on anyone e… https://t.co/l51SWZ2eti

— Dr. Jason Johnson (@DrJasonJohnson) 1620968294.0

Dr. Leana Wen, former head of Planned Parenthood and CNN analyst, added, "The CDC has gone from one extreme to another, from over-caution to throwing caution into the wind. By not requiring proof of vaccination, they are essentially eliminating mask mandates & physical distancing. This could DISINCENTIVIZE vaccination."

The CDC has gone from one extreme to another, from over-caution to throwing caution into the wind.By not requirin… https://t.co/0rE5c1bkOq

— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) 1620950461.0

In response to a Grabien tweet that read, "Mika [Brzezinski] & Joe [Scarborough] both say they'll keep wearing masks on planes despite being vaccinated," the MSNBC host added, "The CDC says it as well. Probably a smart thing to do now, and a good idea to keep a mask on hand in the future if that person in the seat next to you starts the hacking and sneezing routine in flu season."

The CDC says it as well. Probably a smart thing to do now, and a good idea to keep a mask on hand in the future if… https://t.co/i3f6DxqLSj

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) 1620989516.0

Prominent gun control activist David Hogg added, "I feel the need to continue wearing my mask outside even though I'm fully vaccinated because the inconvenience of having to wear a mask is more than worth it to have people not think I'm a conservative[.]"

I feel the need to continue wearing my mask outside even though I’m fully vaccinated because the inconvenience of h… https://t.co/GuIZaYkBy1

— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) 1620997596.0

Author John Pavlovitz wrote, "I haven't had a cold in 15 months. I'll be wearing a mask."

I haven't had a cold in 15 months.I'll be wearing a mask.

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) 1620998331.0

Another user wrote, "I've been supportive and defensive for the most part of the CDC all along, but this statement is reckless. You're empowering anti-maskers and anti-vaxers. You know, the ones keeping the World from resuming some normalcy and who are continuing to kill others and/or make them ill."

Another added, "At my doctors office there is a sign on the door that says 'You will wear a mask past this door regardless of the current advisories. Put in on or turn around.' Yes!"

One user even said that the move was counterintuitive to protecting children.

"So, are we just actively not protecting the kids anymore?" the user asked in response to the CDC's announcement. "Vaccines were approved for 12+ just days ago. Getting all that done takes time and what about the rest of them? It may not hit kids as hard, but it still f***ing sucks and can have complications."

"I ain't taking my mask off till we are done," one user proclaimed. "I care about others."

Another user called the science into question, and wrote, "I'll continue to wear my mask because still a lot of people not vaccinated. How can I really know who is vaccinated? How long does the Pfizer vaccine last in body?"

"With so many refusing to vaccinate, how can I feel safe indoors when I see someone without a mask? How to keep our kids safe in these settings? Relying on honor system for my family's health? This is a mistake," one user insisted.

Finally, one user added, "[CDC] said if ur vaccinated and still wear your mask, you're sexy."

What else?

During Thursday's White House press briefing, Walensky said that Americans who have waited two weeks after receiving their second COVID-19 vaccine can return to mostly normal, pre-pandemic behaviors in the vast majority of settings.

In her remarks, Walensky said, “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy."

The infectious diseases expert added, "Based on the continuing downward trajectory of cases, the scientific data on the performance of our vaccines, and our understanding of how the virus spreads, that moment has come for those who are fully vaccinated."

Unvaccinated Americans should continue masking and engaging in social distancing, Walensky advised.

“This is an exciting and powerful moment, it could only happen because of the work of so many who made sure we have the rapid administration of three safe and effective vaccines," she proclaimed.

The Associated Press reports that about 154 million Americans — more than 46% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 117 million Americans are fully vaccinated.

Joe Scarborough: 'No, jackass,' last summer's Black Lives Matter violence, destruction weren't as bad as the Capitol riot



Immediately following last month's Capitol riot in Washington, D.C., a major point of contention among conservatives has been that leftists far and wide decried the "insurrection" of Jan. 6 while ignoring — or even justifying — the months and months of violence and destruction from Black Lives Matter and Antifa that took place across America last year.

And MSNBC's Joe Scarborough let his position be known during Tuesday's edition of "Morning Joe."

What did he say?

Addressing the "idiots on other cable news channels" who say the crime of "mom and pop" stores "vandalized during the summer riots" is "just as bad as the United States Capitol being vandalized," Scarborough threw down: "No, jackass, it's not."

"The Capitol of the United States of America is the center of American democracy," he continued. "And while I'm a fierce believer in people's right to defend their private property, I'm not going to confuse a taco stand with the United States Capitol. I'm not going to confuse the selling of tacos with actually moving through a constitutional process."

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says that local businesses being vandalized in antifa/BLM riots over the summer is not equa… https://t.co/8JjTbyjo4s
— Daily Caller (@Daily Caller)1613500032.0

What else did Joe say?

Scarborough apparently caught wind of the Daily Caller's later tweet and let them have it.

"Do you think it is the same?" he tweeted in response. "Are you too stupid to understand the destruction of personal property is abhorrent, and at the same time realize that a terrorist attack against the US Capitol is a greater threat to America? Is arson against a warehouse the same as 9/11?"

The Daily Caller followed up its initial tweet with another clip showing a man speaking in front of his destroyed store last summer:

Was Scott Carpenter’s furniture store which was burned down during the riot in Kenosha just a taco stand @JoeNBC?https://t.co/s9FxtD9Fmh
— Daily Caller (@Daily Caller)1613500748.0

"Was Scott Carpenter's furniture store which was burned down during the riot in Kenosha just a taco stand @JoeNBC?" the Daily Caller asked.

But Scarborough hit right back: "No jackass. It was a furniture store. And the freaks who burned it down should rot in jail until they pay him back."

Richie McGinniss, the Daily Caller's chief video director, tweeted that "the *federal courthouse in Portland was attacked for over 100 days straight. I was at the Capitol, and I was in Portland. Both were abhorrent because they were both examples of POLITICAL violence. For Joe, the Capitol riot was Trump supporters, and that's the *real difference."

Again Scarborough defended himself: "You are being ignorant. I have attacked rioters in Portland since the summer. I have specifically blasted Portland's mayor and Oregon's governor repeatedly for letting rioters trash the federal courthouse and destroy the city. Can you do the same to the Trump Terrorists?"

You are being ignorant. I have attacked rioters in Portland since the summer. I have specifically blasted Portland’… https://t.co/Lk5rEvEcMH
— Joe Scarborough (@Joe Scarborough)1613505337.0

Anything else?

The Daily Caller didn't let up, offering up a pair of videos that underscored its case:

And then bring on Roderick Reynolds, Detroit father of five who had his home burned down during the riots, so you c… https://t.co/6dr1yPuDuS
— Daily Caller (@Daily Caller)1613504471.0