Leaked audio of exchanges between MSNBC "Morning Joe" hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough and GOP front-runner Donald Trump is adding to criticism from rival CNN and other media outlets that the pair is too supportive of the presidential candidate's campaign.
The recording, made during commercial breaks of a solo, prime-time town hall hosted by the morning show's stars last week, was released by comedian Harry Shearer on his weekly radio show,
reports The Hill.
Much of the conversation consists of small talk, but other parts lead Shearer to joke after airing the clip that one could cut the tension between the three "with a butter knife."
In one part of the leaked tapes, it sounds as if Brzezinski is asking Scarborough if they should next ask Trump questions about deportation. After Scarborough said the pair should go to questions, Trump is heard joking "Nothing too hard, Mika."
In another part, Brzezinski is heard telling Trump his decision to call two men onto his stage during a rally to speak for him was a "wow moment," he responded to her that "you had me almost as a legendary figure, I like that."
Scarborough didn't comment Tuesday on the leak, but
last Friday on the show he answered complaints about his treatment of Trump, saying that there are "haters out there who will never be happy unless we get a knife and stab him in the side of the neck and watch him bleed while shouting profanities at him. Good luck finding another interview where he was interrupted more times than last night."
The town hall with Trump was held at the same time as a much larger event on CNN, which spread the then-six remaining GOP candidates over two nights. MSNBC featured Trump alone on its town hall, but ran an interview with Ohio Gov. John Kasich with Chris Matthews before the program.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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