President Donald Trump erupted at “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough after the MSNBC show spotlighted bombshell reporting from the New York Times regarding the White House's response to the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump's Social Media Outburst
On Wednesday morning, Trump took to Truth Social to attack “Joe Scarborough’s ever shrinking, low rated show.” The president claimed that Scarborough's “serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, often referred to as TDS, has made him a laughing stock among those who know what is going on in the ‘Wonderful World of Television.’”
The rant came nearly an hour after Scarborough highlighted the Times’ reporting by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, drawn from their forthcoming book, “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.” Scarborough described it as “one of the most important books on the Trump presidency.”
Revelations on Epstein Files
Among the revelations is that Trump did not want to release any Justice Department files linked to Epstein, a former associate of the president. Efforts to manage the release of documents related to the sex offender were “consuming the highest ranks of the administration,” according to a New York Times Magazine article based on the book. The article noted that Trump’s “aides were determined to keep their rising sense of panic out of public view.”
Scarborough's Sarcastic Response
Shortly after an interview with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, Scarborough seized on Trump’s attack and offered a deeply sarcastic response. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Mr. President,” Scarborough said mockingly of Trump’s ratings gibe.
Despite being among the most vocal cable-news critics of Trump, Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski claimed they frequently speak to the president and visited him at Mar-a-Lago after his 2024 reelection. On Wednesday, Scarborough stated: “I tell people that we actually talk on the phone, and sometimes I go talk to you in the White House, and we disagree on things, but nothing deranged here, sir. Unless you’re deranged.”
Connection to Epstein Files
Co-host Willie Geist pointed out the connection between Trump’s outburst and the Times’ reporting on Epstein. “Ohhhh, wow,” responded Scarborough. “Oh, my God,” said Brzezinski. “This is something you cannot mention around the president of the United States,” Geist added of the Epstein files.
