MSNBC‘s popular morning show “Morning Joe” was yanked off air earlier this week following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
As we highlighted on Monday, the network made the decision due to fears that someone “might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole.”
There was also a tense atmosphere at MSNBC after staff members were informed that a single NBC News feed would replace regular programming.
The plan caught the “Morning Joe” team off guard, prompting them to threaten to quit if it happened again.
It's a huge day in politics and MSNBC has pulled 'Morning Joe' off the air. They're apparently worried the MJ crew might say something 'inappropriate' about the Trump assassination attempt. From CNN: https://t.co/uK3u0ZIoU9 pic.twitter.com/AS8E4b5FdQ
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 15, 2024
However, due to the show’s history of harsh rhetoric towards Trump, the network appeared to be pre-empting possible damage control.
Host Joe Scarborough told his viewers he was “very disappointed” about being pulled off air.
“Before we start this hour. Willie (Geist, co-host), I just wanted to briefly talk to our friends and viewers that watch us every day and talk about what happened yesterday,” Scarbrough started.
Scarborough said he and his team were notified there “was going to be one news feed across all NBC news channels” instead.
“That did not happen,” Scarborough explained, adding that MSNBC returned to its regular programming.
“We don’t know why that was. That didn’t happen.”
“Our team was not given a good answer as to why that didn’t happen, but it didn’t happen,” he reiterated.
“We were also told it was going to happen throughout the day.”
Scarborough then offered a suggestion as to why the network pulled the show.
“I guess after there was such a strong blowback about, yesterday morning, I guess they changed their plans.”
“And, you know, we’ve talked about it, off the air,” the MSNBC host continued, noting that they were “very surprised” and “very disappointed.”
“If we had known that there wasn’t going to be the one news feed from NBC news across all NBC news channels. Willie, we obviously would have been in yesterday morning.”
Scarborough, visibly angry, warned the network could get “somebody else” if the team is caught off guard “next time” this happens, Fox News reported.
Watch
Morning Joe hosts are fuming at MSNBC for pulling them off the air over July 13th:
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 16, 2024
"We were very surprised & disappointed"
They say they'll quit if it happens again pic.twitter.com/1he5FeNuHY
The move to pull “Morning Joe” drew criticism from media experts.
“It really is quite astounding that MSNBC would even temporarily pull the plug on a show that has been the darling of the anti-Trump east coast liberal audience,” Jeffrey McCall, a journalism professor at DePauw University, said.
“A lot of people are p**sed off,” one MSNBC insider said.
READ: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Claims Trump’s ‘Violent Rhetoric’ Caused Assassination Attempt
