"Branding and Marketing Expert" Donny Deutsch routinely makes other MSNBC guests uncomfortable with his "analysis," a new Washington Free Beacon montage shows.
Deutsch is not a journalist or a politician, but he nevertheless gets cushy speaking gigs on "Morning Joe" and Nicolle Wallace's afternoon MSNBC show, where his takes on how things "feel" or "seem" actually make other guests look pained.
Most recently, Deutsch declared Thursday that President Donald Trump is partly responsible for ESPN's derided decision to move commentator Robert Lee from covering a University of Virginia football game, leading to silence from the "Morning Joe" panel.
"Joe, it does show you with what's happening, starting obviously with the president on down, how the country is just on edge, to the point where you get this insane overreaction," Deutsch said, while Mark Halperin stared at him.
"Yeah," host Joe Scarborough said after a pause.
In one appearance last month when Deutsch flatly declared Trump would eventually fire special counsel Robert Mueller—which has not happened—Mike Barnicle and John Heilemann shifted uncomfortably in their chairs; the following week, Rick Tyler looked in the camera "Jim Halpert"-style after Deutsch repeated the prediction.
After Trump tweeted personal attacks at Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski in June, Deutsch showed up wearing sunglasses as a reference to Trump's accusation that Brzezinski had plastic surgery done. Katty Kay rolled her eyes.
Later in the segment, he was rebuffed by Kay, Willie Geist, and others for furiously attacking Trump's physical appearance. After Scarborough and Brzezinski appeared to discuss Trump's tweets against them, Deutsch painfully tried to look tough and challenged Trump to a fight in the "school yard;" Scarborough and Brzezinski groaned and effectively told him to hush.
Scarborough has had his share of moments disrespecting Deutsch; during a panel discussion in February when Deutsch tried to cut in, Scarborough grew angry and said, "I'm talking to him," referring to Jon Meacham. Later when Deutsch said not to scream at him, Scarborough responded, "Are you kidding me, Donny?"
Scarborough also put down Deutsch this week when he suggested Trump was a "sociopath."
Brzezinski seemed horrified when Deutsch implied in one show that Trump could have erectile dysfunction. She also appeared displeased on camera when, out of nowhere as the show was closing on March 23, 2015, he kissed her on the cheek.
"Just wanted to do that," he said.
Deutsch just seems out of his element.