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Joe Scarborough has called it quits with the Republican party. During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, the Morning Joe anchor revealed that he’s finally had it with the GOP–specifically President Donald Trump. Scarborough listed off all of what he considers Trump’s offenses, including his Muslim ban, pretending not to know who David Duke is, saying that United States District Judge Gonzalo Curiel could not do his job because of his Mexican heritage, and the revelations that a number of people close to the current administration (or in the current administration) lied about meeting with Russians. The fact that Republicans have, as a party, remained silent throughout all of this scandal deeply upset Scarborough.
“My party has betrayed their core values,” said Scarborough. “What exactly is the Republican Party willing to do? How far are they willing to go? How much of this country and our values are they willing to sell out?” At that point, Colbert asked Scarborough if he still considers himself a Republican. “I am a Republican, but I’m not going to be a Republican anymore. I’ve got to become an independent.”
Scarborough also weighed in on the allegations of collusion with Russia that have been rocking the administration since, well, before the inauguration. “You have the Trump White House defending somebody who was associated with the campaign, and somebody, Jared, who still works in the campaign, who not only lied about meeting with the Russians all along, but actually, if they didn’t collude, they certainly decided they were going to coordinate with an enemy foreign government that sees the United States of America as an enemy.”
This is a big shift for Scarborough, who has been unwavering in his support of the GOP since he got into politics in the ’90s. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida, from 1995 to 2001. Following that, he moved to hosting Morning Joe where he became one of the most prominent Republican voices on the left-leaning MSNBC. Prior to the election, Scarborough and his cohost Mika Brzezinski were even criticized for being too buddy buddy with Donald Trump. Their relationship took a downward turn after the election, though, culminating in a now infamous Twitter feud between the hosts and the president just two weeks ago.
Only time will tell if Scarborough’s departure from the GOP will lead to action from the party or a mass exodus. For now, though, MSNBC may be in the market for a new headlining Republican.
(via Vulture)
