Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, has been known for his outbursts and erratic behavior. His wife and co-host, Mika Brzezinski, has even ordered him to take a break from the show in the past. After Scarborough’s disturbing performance on Wednesday’s show, it seems like he might need another time-out. Scarborough went on a rant attacking The New York Times for publishing a poll that showed Trump leading in five out of six swing states. This display of paranoia and anger was not only disturbing but also baseless.
Scarborough started off by claiming to believe in conspiracy theories and absurdly suggested that the Times had entered into a conspiracy with psychiatrists to make profits while using skewed methodology to favor Trump. This kind of thinking is not only delusional but also dangerous. But Scarborough didn’t stop there. He went on to accuse The New York Times of rigging polls against Biden in order to write sensationalized stories about them. He claimed that the polls were “wildly skewed” and that every time the Times released a poll, they would get multiple clickbait articles out of it.
When one of the guests, John Heilemann, tried to offer a slightly different perspective, Scarborough rudely shouted him down and insisted that the Times was actively shaping the election cycle with their skewed polls. He claimed that they were manipulating the polls to favor Trump and that the media was falling for it. This kind of reckless and baseless accusation against a reputable news outlet is not only unfair but also shows Scarborough’s unstable and erratic state of mind.
It’s not the first time that Scarborough has shown signs of losing touch with reality. In a recent show, he interrupted and talked over his wife and co-host multiple times, showcasing a lack of respect and control. Heilemann’s attempts to reason with Scarborough were also met with shouting and disrespect. This kind of behavior is not only harmful to Scarborough’s reputation but also to the credibility of the show and its guests.
Scarborough also mentioned that NPR had found that some of the people quoted in The New York Times articles, claiming to have voted for Biden in 2020, had never voted before. While this could be true, one must question the validity of this claim. It’s more likely that the average person would be less likely to admit to supporting Trump, the media’s portrayal of him as a monster who will end democracy forever could potentially skew the results.
Scarborough’s performance on Wednesday’s show was not only concerning but also highly irresponsible.
His paranoid accusations and erratic behavior towards his colleagues are not only damaging to his reputation but also raise questions about his mental state. Instead of attacking the media and spreading conspiracy theories, Scarborough should focus on providing fair and accurate information to his audience.