(Headline USA) MSNBC pulled its flagship morning show Morning Joe from the air this week following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The program, normally hosted by virulently anti-Trump hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, was replaced with a NBC News special report on Monday morning. A spokesperson for the network said Morning Joe would resume airing on Tuesday.
A source familiar with the network’s decision said NBC executives were worried Scarborough and Brzezinski or one of their leftist guests “might make an inappropriate comment on live television” about Trump and the assassination attempt “that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole,” according to CNN.
A spokesperson for NBC Universal denied the allegations, arguing the network’s decision was only due to its desire to continued rolling breaking news coverage.
“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“As we continue to cover this story into the week, the networks will continue to cross simulcast, alternating between NBC News, NBC News NOW and ‘MSNBC Reports,’ so there is one news feed covering this developing situation,” the spokesperson added.
Left-wing journalist Jeff Jarvis blasted NBC for “silencing” Scarborough and Brzezinski.
“What the f***, MSNBC? You preempted your excellent weekend programming… and now you’ve silenced [Morning Joe] in favor of your anodyne streaming news cos-play called Now?” he said.
“This is when we need the analysis and conversation these shows bring us (yes, with controversy; that is how public discourse works through it: with discussion),” he continued. “It is shocking that NBC/Comcast do not understand their own company’s programs and raison d’etre.”
Scarborough has relentlessly portrayed Trump as a “fascist” over the past few years, but tried to walk back his own heated rhetoric following the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
“Our family is praying this morning for President Trump, those injured yesterday, and for the loved ones of the American tragically killed. May God grant mercy on them and deliver us from the violent political rhetoric that coursens [sic] debate and endangers public servants,” Scarborough wrote on X.
Our family is praying this morning for President Trump, those injured yesterday, and for the loved ones of the American tragically killed. May God grant mercy on them and deliver us from the violent political rhetoric that coursens debate and endangers public servants.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) July 14, 2024
