Biden’s obsession with the sycophantic ‘Morning Joe’

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was delivering one of the classic cable news monologues, but his panelists knew to stay out of the way.

“I spent quite a bit of time with Joe Biden, and we sat and talked for several hours.” he said on last Wednesday’s episode “Morning Joe”. “He’s convincing. But to say he was convincing was an understatement. He’s far beyond convincing. In fact, I think he’s better than ever.” I believe that.”

Then Scarborough really started to take off.

“Start the tape now. I’m going to tell you the truth,” he implored the viewers and perhaps the media covering him. “And if you can’t handle the truth, you quit. This version of Biden is, intellectually and analytically, the best Biden of all time. It’s not even close. And I don’t know what to say about him. I also know the year.”

Scarborough, a former Republican congressman turned cable news veteran, performed this “Biden’s Best Ever” cheerleading just a few days ago. we learned new details Regarding repeated apparent mental disturbances during interrogation by Special Counsel Robert Hur.

It’s enough to put White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre out of office — she “joked” during an appearance on “Morning Joe” last week.

No matter — Scarborough is obsessed with this particular version of Biden. At least that’s what he says pretty convincingly on TV. But is it Biden himself or Biden’s job that has the MSNBC host so obsessed?

Biden is “obsessed” with “Morning Joe.” According to a report from Axios last month. “Biden’s love for the longtime MSNBC morning staple influences how the White House runs and who he listens to,” Alex Thompson wrote. “The president frequently calls co-host Joe Scarborough to get his take on issues and sometimes vents his anger about media coverage, according to people familiar with the matter.”

And it’s not just the president. Thompson reported that Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband recently hosted Scarborough and his co-host, his wife Mika Brzezinski, for dinner at the vice president’s residence.

This isn’t just about being a fan of the TV show. The Biden White House has close ties to cable news shows and their hosts, both publicly and privately. If it doesn’t quite cross the line of what’s appropriate for a show on a channel that calls itself a “news” network, it certainly approaches the ethical gray area.

Of course, Scarborough’s affinity for the establishment did not begin with the Biden administration. Back in 2015 and 2016, Scarborough and Morning Joe were heavily criticized for promoting then-candidate Donald Trump.of the relationship was unstable, Just in case. However, even after Trump was elected, Joe and Micah were spotted meeting with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve.

This has led to critics like Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan. call Lack of “small talk” and “distance between journalists and elected officials.” “That’s been the way Washington has been for a very long time,” Scarborough responded at the time, waving his hands.

Perhaps their shared background as creatures of Washington makes it even easier for Mr. Scarborough to transition from an ardent defender of Trump, the ultimate outsider, to an ardent defender of Biden, the epitome of a Washington insider. became.

So what’s the origin of all the sycophantic abuse and effusive praise of this man in the White House? It’s a chicken-and-egg question about journalistic flattery. Is Biden’s obsession with Scarborough because the host lavishes praise on him? Or is Scarborough flattering Biden because the president is paying attention?

Perhaps it’s a combination of both.

“Morning Joe” has evolved beyond just a shift in political polarity from R to D. What was once the obvious lead role for a master host became a definitive co-hosting gig for Scarborough and his current wife Mika Brzezinski.in pairs It was published as their relationship in 2017 and got married in Since then, the show has become Morning Mika as well as Morning Joe.

This Monday morning, each took a shot Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) said this after sparring with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on his Sunday show. Stephanopoulos outrageously used his past rape as a way to question why he supports Trump now. Scarborough and Brzezinski, of course, protected Stephanopoulos and attacked Mace – and the fire was equal parts Joe and Mika.

Last Friday, Scarborough and Brzezinski was enthusiastic Joe called Biden’s State of the Union address a “tour de force” and described it as “amazing.”

Do “Morning Joe” viewers really believe that? Some people certainly do. But perhaps most important to the crowd at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is its audience. No doubt he’s in tune with his favorite obsession. Whatever ethical violations have occurred regarding the coziness between the press and power, the payoff is an equally despicable program.

NewsNation contributor Steve Krakauer is the author of “Uncovered: How the Media Get Cozy with Power, Abandoned Its Principles, and Lost the People” and editor and host of the Fourth Watch newsletter and podcast.