GOP nominee Donald Trump unleashed furious tweets against MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Monday, taking aim at critical show co-host Mika Brzezinski and promising to tell the "real story" about her and co-host Joe Scarborough, calling them "two clowns."
He took particular aim at Brzezinski, calling her "neurotic" and a "mess" — as she was being critical of him on air — and describing her as Scarborough's "girlfriend."
Scarborough and Brzezinski did not point directly to Trump's tweets on their program, but Scarborough, during a discussion about Hillary Clinton's $80 million ad buy, accused the nominee of being obsessed with television talk show hosts instead of campaigning.
"While Hillary Clinton is targeting, spending $80 million, starting today spending $80 million with ads targeting swing states, Donald Trump is obsessing over cable news hosts," Scarborough said.
And later in the show, Scarborough teased an "announcement" on TV, as Brzezinski begged him "hold on," and he instead showed a photograph of a colleague's new granddaughter.
Brzezinski, a Democrat who frequently criticizes Trump and his campaign on the program, returned from a week off Monday to once again slam the nominee and demand Republicans back away from supporting him.
Further, she complained the show spends a great deal of time talking about Trump, but not much else because "the candidate is so flawed."
Scarborough shot back two tweets in defense of his show and of Brzezinski:
Brzezinski did not respond during the show, except to retweet a message from Hillary for America Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri:
Trump's tweets came just one day after his new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, denied to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on the "This Week" program that Trump engages in personal insults.
Stephanopoulos showed Conway a series of video clips of her attacking Trump while she was supporting Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential candidacy, when she was recorded saying she did not back Trump because he "hurls personal insults."
Conway said Sunday she continues to be against personal insults as a matter of principle, and insisted Trump "doesn't hurl personal insults."