The drama on Morning Joe reached a new level when co-host Joe Scarborough and his wife Mika Brzezinski faced tough pushback from one of their regular guests, Michael Steele. It all went down during the January 10 episode when Steele took issue with Scarborough’s insistence that everyone should be “civil” to President-elect Donald Trump as he heads back to the White House.
Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, tried to make his point, but Scarborough wasn’t having it. As Steele tried to speak, Scarborough interrupted, and the tension was palpable.
“Joe, you had your moment; let me just finish my point,” Steele said, clearly frustrated. “I’m telling you something you seem to forget, so let me make my point. You may not like it, but I’m going to make it.”
Steele didn’t hold back, challenging Scarborough’s argument: “You like to say 78 million people voted for Trump, well 82 million people voted for Biden. And he didn’t get the civility you’re talking about from Trump for those four years.”
Scarborough, growing increasingly flustered, tried to dismiss Steele’s criticism, but Steele fired back. “You did!” Steele shot back, pointing out Scarborough’s previous comments about the need for civility.
It was clear the conversation was getting heated as Steele continued to push his point. “Civility is a two-way street,” he said. “How are we supposed to respond to a man who wants to lock up citizens and turn the government against them? Are we supposed to just be civil?”
Scarborough quickly retorted, “Do you think we don’t know that?” He seemed caught off guard by Steele’s directness and tried to deflect, claiming that Steele was misinterpreting his words. But Steele was not having it.
“I’m not twisting your words,” Steele said, standing his ground. “Civility needs to go both ways.”
The argument left viewers buzzing, with many taking to social media to support Steele’s bold stance. Some applauded him for speaking the truth, while others pointed out Scarborough’s frustration, even joking about his red face during the heated exchange.
One fan summed it up, “Michael Steele says what we are all thinking, and he doesn’t try to wrap it in a pretty package either.” Another added, “I’m with Michael Steele on this one. This was a damn good conversation.”
You can watch the full debate unfold in the video above—definitely a must-see!
