"Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist announced at the beginning of Friday's show that hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski would appear at the top of the show's 7 a.m. Eastern hour to address the personal attacks on them by President Donald Trump a day earlier.
Geist relayed that Scarborough and Brzezinski were supposed to take the day off but altered their schedules to come in and respond to Trump directly. According to Geist, they scuttled their plans to attend a Boston Red Sox game on Thursday night because they felt it would be "too much of a circus."
"I asked Mika to come in, particularly because she does not need me or anyone else to defend her," Geist said, saying Brzezinski was smart, strong, and makes people in power uncomfortable.
https://youtu.be/lcanig1lmdA
Trump tweeted on Thursday, "I hear poorly rated ‘Morning Joe' speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/880408582310776832
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/880410114456465411
The remarks received widespread condemnation from the media and politicians, particularly the part targeting Brzezinski's looks.
Scarborough and Brzezinski co-authored a column published Friday morning slamming Trump, saying he had an "unhealthy obsession" with the show and questioning his mental fitness for office.