Morning Joe left flustered after interviewer refuses to let him off the hook over Biden health cover-up
'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough was forced to engage in a fierce, three-minute defense of his 2024 claim that then-President Joe Biden was at his 'best ever' after being confronted with it on a podcast Tuesday.
The MSNBC star was pressed about the statement by Mark Halperin, as the world reacted to a new book alleging the ex-president's inner circle hid signs of his decline.
Halperin, welcoming Scarborough to his show, first forced the host to watch the clip himself. It aired on Morning Joe in March 2024, when Scarborough was getting ready to host then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Before bringing her on, Scarborough engaged in a lengthy, fiery defense of Biden's age and fitness for office.
'He's better than he has ever been, intellectually, analytically,' Scarborough said in a rant before introducing the aide. 'F- you if you can't handle the truth. This version of Biden… is the best Biden ever.'
Once the clip played out, Halperin, long the political director for ABC News, posed a pointed question to his guest.
'Looking back at that, do you say, well, it was misleading to say "best Biden ever" without caveating it and saying, except on the days when he's not?' he asked - after a stubborn Scarborough said Biden had both good and bad days.
Scarborough, however, said he 'never saw the bad days personally,' before spinning the conversation toward Donald Trump.
Scroll down for full video:
The rant also saw the opinion host bizarrely argue the clip was taken out of context - the context being the entirety of his broadcasting career and the current news cycle.
'He stumbled and bumbled around, Mark,' Scarborough said of Biden, after listening to himself say he believed the then-unraveling incumbent was 'better than he's ever been, intellectually, analytically' barely a year ago.
'I mean, yeah, he certainly did.
'Donald Trump did, other politicians did,' he added. 'And it's actually the same case as a lot of times when I've gone in and talked to Donald Trump.'
The testy defense continued from there and saw Scarborough invoke the current president's name some seven times.
'We go on to Donald Trump, and I've heard the media narrative around Donald Trump, and certainly I've been very critical of Donald Trump,' Scarborough argued, as MSNBC prepares to split from NBC News and lead a new company of cable channels.
'And when I leave, I [will] have a better understanding... of where Donald Trump is mentally, if Donald Trump is losing it, like people have said through the years or not.
'And so, again, am I going to look at a clip that's gone viral and pay more attention to that than two and a half, three hours I had with a guy one-on-one going around the world?' he concluded.
'No, I'm just not going to. Are some of the clips bad? Yeah, they certainly are bad,' he added.
'Put into proper context, I'm just not going to freak out and melt down on one or two clips here and there.
'And again he bumbled around, and he stumbled around, but he has for quite some time.
'That didn't seem to me to get in the way of Joe Biden being able to analyze the most important issues.'
When it came the former Florida congressman insistence he didn't see Biden's bad days firsthand, Halperin did not let him off the hook either.
'Well, you did! You did because you saw him address a dead congresswoman, and you saw him in South Carolina,' Halperin mentioned, referring to Jackie Walorski, who died in a car crash two months before Biden mistakenly asked for her at an event in 2022.
'The dead congresswoman, yeah,' Scarborough conceded, before being grilled some more.
'Yeah, well, more than that, I mean, I can show you the RNC clip reels,' Halperin mentioned, referring to a series of viral flubs played to attendees of last year's conservative conference.
There were plenty of days in public when he, when he was not the best Biden ever. And of course, shortly after-'
Scarborough at this point interrupted.
'[He] had good days — plural,' he said.
Scarborough - aside from offering a 15-minute monologue to defend the then president's disastrous debate performance back in July - notably tore into former Special Counsel Robert Hur for a 2024 report on the former president related to the classified documents probe that showed Biden struggling with key memories.
'I'm just saying this guy says such random s**t!' Scarborough said at the time, demanding Hur apologize for the report, which revealed serious memory lapses from the then-president during a February 2024 interview surrounding his possession of classified documents.
'Does he hope he gets a judgeship? I think he does. I think he hopes he gets a judgeship if Donald Trump gets elected again because he's trying out, because he humiliated himself with that display,' Scarborough said.
The audio of the Hur-Biden interview was released on Friday, and suggested Hur not only reported on since-substantiated concerns about Biden's mental acuity, he undersold the extent of it, progressive journalists like CNN's Abby Phillip have admitted.
Jake Tapper, the author of the just released exposé Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, also admitted Tuesday to not fully reporting on Biden's senility when interviewing the former president in 202s amid speculation that swirled even then.
'Knowing what I know now, obviously I feel tremendous humility about my coverage,' Tapper told Megn Kelly on her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, while promoting the new book.
He also admitted that 'conservative media was correct' in how it handled the story, two days after Biden was diagnosed with an advanced form of prostate cancer.
He is currently exploring treatment options, his office said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
22 minutes ago
- Reuters
Shares dither, dollar falls as trade angst persists
SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Asia shares edged cautiously higher on Tuesday while the dollar fell to a six-week low as erratic U.S. trade policies clouded over markets and investors turned defensive ahead of key developments later in the week. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely speak this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, days after Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions. The call between the two leaders will be closely watched by markets to see if the tariff-induced blow to global stocks and the dollar this year could get some reprieve or ratchet up, as trade tensions between the world's two largest economies simmer. Data on Monday showed U.S. manufacturing contracted for a third straight month in May and suppliers took the longest time in nearly three years to deliver inputs amid tariffs. "The May ISM showed tariff pressure is beginning to bite for manufacturers who are seeing slowing activity, longer lead times and declining inventories," said economists at Wells Fargo. China's factory activity in May also shrank for the first time in eight months, a private-sector survey showed on Tuesday, indicating U.S. tariffs are starting to hurt manufacturers. The gloomy global trade situation left U.S. futures falling early in the Asian session, failing to sustain the slight gains made during the cash session on Wall Street overnight. Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 futures were both down 0.2% each. In Europe, EUROSTOXX 50 futures advanced 0.28% and FTSE futures added 0.15%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab reversed early losses to last trade 0.6% higher, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225), opens new tab rose 0.66%. "Trump really does have sentiment in the palm of his hands once again," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. "I suspect we'll hear about 'a really great call' or words to the effect," he said, referring to the expected call between Trump and Xi. "But we'll need to wait for confirmation from China, who tends to take their time on these matters. Until we get concrete confirmation, price action could be shaky and vulnerable to false also have the June 4 deadline for 'best trade deals' from U.S. trading partners to factor in." In China, mainland markets returned from an extended break on a muted note, with the CSI300 blue-chip index (.CSI300), opens new tab up 0.23% while the Shanghai Composite Index (.SSEC), opens new tab gained 0.3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HIS), opens new tab jumped more than 1%, rebounding from Monday's one-month low. The dollar fell to a six-week low against a basket of currencies to 98.58 on Tuesday, ahead of Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, which will offer a timely reading on the pulse of activity in the world's largest economy. A rise in unemployment is one of the few developments that could get the Federal Reserve to start thinking of easing policy again, with investors having largely given up on a cut this month or next. The euro scaled a six-week top earlier in the session before paring some of its gains to last trade at $1.1426, while sterling dipped 0.09% to $1.3532. A softer U.S. jobs report would be a relief for the Treasury market, where 30-year yields continue to flirt with the 5% barrier as investors demand a higher premium to offset the ever-expanding supply of debt. The Senate this week will start considering a tax-and-spending bill that will add an estimated $3.8 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt. "The evidence suggests term premium being re-priced considerably higher to account for U.S. fiscal, trade, credit, and geoeconomic risks alongside some hedge against (U.S. dollar) debasement," said Vishnu Varathan, head of macro research for Asia ex-Japan at Mizuho. The dollar was up 0.35% against the yen at 143.20 , reversing some of its 0.9% decline from the previous session. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Tuesday it is important to make policy judgements without any preset ideas as uncertainty over global tariff policies remains extremely high. In commodities, oil prices rose on concerns about supply, with Brent crude futures climbing 0.88% to $65.20 a barrel, while U.S. crude surged 1% to $63.13 per barrel. Spot gold rose to a roughly one-month high of $3,392.03 an ounce.
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘I was let out': New Orleans man who escaped jail pleads case on social media
A man still at large after escaping from a New Orleans jail last month appears to have taken to social media to plead his case to the public. In a video that quickly went viral, the man identifying himself as Antoine Massey – one of 10 prisoners who fled from the Orleans Justice center (OJC) on 16 May – said he was wrongfully accused and held up papers he said corroborate his innocence. 'They say that I broke out,' he said, speaking directly to the camera. 'I didn't break out. I was let out.' Authorities have been searching the New Orleans area for more than two weeks since the men squeezed through a hole behind a toilet in the jail. Graffiti left on the wall included the message 'To Easy LoL' with an arrow pointing to the gap. Eight of the 10 have been apprehended, along with more than a dozen people – many of them friends and family – arrested on allegations of helping the group with food, cash, transportation or shelter, according to court documents. Along with Massey, Derrick Groves has not yet been found. Officials have not yet verified that the person in the footage was Massey. But the man in the video, clad in a sweatsuit and sitting on a stool in a minimally furnished kitchen, has the facial tattoos that match Massey's. He called for an investigation into his conviction and asked for help from public figures, including Donald Trump and Meek Mill. Holding up a wrinkled paper to the camera, he claimed he had a signed affidavit from a woman he is accused of assaulting saying the allegations are false. 'If you was an innocent person,' he said, 'why would you stay in jail?' Massey was being held on the theft of a vehicle and for a domestic abuse charge involving strangulation when he escaped. He has a history of both domestic violence charges and escaping from incarceration. At the age of 15 he broke out of a juvenile detention center with five others using metal shackles to break a window and was on the run for weeks, CNN reported. Massey slipped under a fence in the exercise yard of a detention center at age 27. Court records show there was a third attempt, along with several cases alleging he 'tampered and/or removed the court-ordered GPS monitor'. Now 32, Massey appears to be claiming this attempt to get out is justified. Meanwhile, the FBI, US Marshals Service, state and local police, and the Orleans parish sheriff's office have continued the search. As of Monday, the reward was set for $50,000 if information leads to the arrest of Groves or Massey. In a statement, the Orleans parish sheriff's office said they were aware of the video and encouraged Massey to turn himself in. 'If the individual depicted in the video is indeed Antoine Massey, we strongly urge him to come forward and turn himself in to the proper authorities,' the statement said. 'Cooperating with law enforcement is in his best interest and may help avoid additional charges. It is important that justice is served appropriately and that due process is followed.' The Associated Press contributed reporting
Times
36 minutes ago
- Times
Spy suspect ‘did not want to leave fortune cookie as calling card'
A British businessman accused of spying for China told an FBI informant not to leave a fortune cookie as a calling card at the scene of a planned assault on a Chinese-American dissident, according to court documents. John Miller, 63, was arrested in April while on a business trip in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI after a sting operation in which he was allegedly caught spying for China and trying to buy military hardware in the US for the People's Liberation Army. Court documents allege that Miller was caught referring to President Xi as 'the boss' in intercepted phone calls, showing he was acting under the 'direction' of Beijing. Miller, who is from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, as well as being a permanent resident of the US, is also alleged to have organised the surveillance and harassment of a Chinese-American artist who was critical of the Chinese regime, telling a henchman to make him an 'offer he can't refuse … like the Godfather'. In one phone call with an FBI informant in October 2023, Miller allegedly suggested attacking the artist and leaving him unable to walk. The artist had created an 'embarrassing' sculpture showing Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, kneeling on sand, naked from the waist up. 'It's the message they give. You know? We're gonna make sure you're not f***ing walking. We're gonna put you in a wheelchair for three f***ing months or something. That's what I'll say. That's it. It's their signature,' he said, according to court documents. Later in the call, he is said to have told the informant: 'The message has to be you ain't walking for a little while motherf***er. Not giving him brain damage. Just lower body damage.' In response, the informant allegedly suggested they 'leave a fortune cookie so they know it was a China man', to which Miller said: 'Oh no they don't want any connection to a China man.' According to the court documents, the informant responded: 'Oh. Leave leave a pork rind.' Miller allegedly replied: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, make it look like a mugging … And there'd be another message coming.' When asked what the other message was Miller allegedly said that the artist's family could be targeted next. He is claimed to have agreed with the informant that the planned assault was 'absolutely f***ing overkiller' but that it was all about 'what the big fella wants'. Miller was arrested on April 24 in Serbia, where he is being held after being accused of conspiring with a US-based Chinese citizen called Cui Guanghai, 43. The businessman has been charged in the US with interstate stalking, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, smuggling and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. Miller is accused of conspiring with Cui Guanghai. Both could face up to 40 years in prison if they are convicted If convicted, both Miller and Guanghai, who held a position in the Chinese government, according to documents filed at the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, face up to 40 years in prison. A 14-page Wisconsin indictment alleges that Miller, a recruitment specialist, was caught in a sting after arms dealers he was negotiating with turned out to be undercover FBI agents. He is accused of attempting to procure equipment including surface-to-air missiles, predator drones and a handheld device for the secure communication of 'classified and sensitive national security information'. A second 67-page indictment, filed in California, accuses Miller and Guanghai, known as 'Jack', of mounting the operation against the artist. Transcripts between Miller and an associate allege they discussed assaulting the artist, either by shooting him or hitting him with a baseball bat. Miller is also alleged to have orchestrated a scheme in which the FBI informant hired actors to stage a pro-China protest against a visit by the president of Taiwan to the US. On Sunday neighbours of Miller's £1.5 million, five-bedroom home described him as a respectable family man who often went to the Far East for business. According to Companies House records, Miller has been a director or a majority shareholder of at least nine firms, including the now-dissolved TEFL Jobs China Ltd. The Foreign Office said: 'We are providing consular assistance to a British national following his arrest in Serbia in April and are in touch with the local authorities and his family.'
