“Morning Joe,” the politically-focused morning show on MSNBC, has recently been making headlines even during its absence.
The show, hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, is popular with President Joe Biden and was also favored by former President Donald Trump, who frequently appeared on it. It’s a key platform for Democratic leaders to share their messages during guest appearances.
The show’s relevance was highlighted when Scarborough suggested, following Biden’s poor debate performance, that the president should consider stepping aside, comparing his debate showing to a CEO’s performance that would result in being fired. Scarborough has also recently urged the Democratic Party to stop internal conflicts over Biden’s candidacy.
On Monday, July 15, “Morning Joe” was notably absent despite major news events, including an assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend and a Florida judge dismissing the classified-documents case against him.
MSNBC stated that continuous coverage of the assassination attempt story was the reason for “Morning Joe” not airing. “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 network explained. They announced a continuous cross-simulcast to provide unified coverage of the developing situation.
Contrarily, CNN’s Oliver Darcy reported that the decision aimed to avoid inappropriate comments by guests that could harm the show’s and network’s reputation, a claim MSNBC denied.
Amid heightened political rhetoric, MSNBC has been scrutinized, especially with its progressive programming. The network seemingly ensures that hosts and guests avoid saying anything damaging on-air during sensitive times.
“Morning Joe” is set to return on Tuesday, July 16.
“Morning Joe” airs weekdays on MSNBC from 3-7 a.m. Arizona time.