“Morning Joe” co-anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, two of the news media’s most vocal opponents of Trump policy in recent years, told MSNBC viewers Monday morning they are hoping for some form of detente.
The duo, who have in recent years grappled with hurtful invective from President-elect Donald Trump, visited him and members of his team at Mar-a-Lago Friday, they revealed in Monday’s broadcast — marking the first time they have met with him in person in seven years.
“We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues and we told him so,” Scarborough said, citing issues such as abortion and the potential for retribution against political enemies and the media. “What we did agree on was to restart communications,” said Brzezinski.
The development may come as a surprise. In 2018, Trump prompted shock when he made remarks about Brzezinski’s appearance. “Crazy Mika” and “Psycho Joe” are phrases he has tried to make common, even though the hosts have with Willie Geist maintained one of the longest-running anchor teams on a national morning-news program.
The two have not spoken directly to Trump since March of 2020, Brzezinski said, except for a call Scarborough made to him following the recent attempt made on Trump’s life in Butler, Pa.
She said Trump was “cheerful,” “upbeat” and seemed “interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues.”