‘Colbert’: Joe Scarborough Refuses to Call Trump ‘President’
Joe Scarborough visited Stephen Colbert’s Late Show on Tuesday night. He is the co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe — or as Colbert is known to call it, Coffee Joe Morning and the Brew Crew. Scarborough is considered in many quarters a RINO — Republican In Name Only — yet he still sticks out like a bespectacled sore thumb in the liberal precincts of MSNBC. This night, Scarborough went so far as to say that he doesn’t think Trump, at this rate, will make it all the way through his presidency, implying impeachment: “I just don’t think it’s sustainable, and I don’t think it’ll last four years.”
Colbert noted that it’s commonly thought that President Trump watches Morning Joe and is influenced by it. “We think he does, based on his Twitter feed,” said Joe, referring to himself and co-host Mika Brzezinski. “Even when he says he’s not watching, we turn to the camera and say, ‘Donald, we know you’re not watching the show, but how ya doin’?’” “You call him Mr. President, right?” said Colbert. “Even I say Mr. President.” That sent Scarborough off into a righteous monologue about how “the way he’s acted over the past month makes it even harder to call him president. … I’m a Republican and I’m a conservative,” Joe said, but he urged the audience to “pray” for Trump, and “when he’s not doing what he should be doing, we should stand up [and challenge him]. It’s incumbent upon my party to speak out … when he does things like challenge the rights to a free press.”
This was music to the ears of the Colbert audience, which cheered him lustily. “You were totally going for that,” said Colbert, accusing him of doing a wee bit of pandering. Scarborough denied this, saying that the Republicans “are going to be judged for the next 50 years on how they’ve responded” to a Trump-gone-wild administration.
Colbert had a quick, deadpan response: “I wish I shared your optimism that there is going to be a time after Trump.”
Scarborough concluded his appearance by strapping on a guitar and singing Nick Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.” I get the political point he was trying to make, but there’s no excuse for sounding like Elvis Costello with an even more hoarse, nasally voice than usual.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on CBS.
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