Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) "did what he had to do" in opposing President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, drawing the ire of host Joe Scarborough for implying Schumer was only appeasing Jewish supporters.
After a lengthy statement by Scarborough castigating deal supporters for assuming opponents were being pressured by powerful Jews, the conversation grew testy at the table.
Schumer, who is Jewish, came out against the agreement in August, citing Iran being untrustworthy and achieving its goals of removing sanctions and retaining nuclear power as the reason for his vote. Fellow Democratic Sens. Ben Cardin (D., Md.), Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) and Joe Manchin (D., W. Va.) also have come out against the agreement.
"You all are saying let's do it because Barack Obama likes it," Scarborough said to the table.
"Let's scrap it because Ted Cruz hates it, and Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin --" Brzezinski said sarcastically.
"So does Chuck Schumer and a lot of other people. Are you turning into a cartoon character before our very eyes?" Scarborough asked.
"Chuck Schumer did what he had to do, and it's perfect for him," Brzezinski said.
"There you go," Scarborough said. "There's the cynicism I talked about. Chuck Schumer could never, ever believe in his heart, according to you, that actually Israel faces an existential threat from Iran, and this only makes it worse."
Brzezinski snapped that Schumer wasn't holding rallies against the deal like Cruz and other Republicans did on Capitol Hill.
"Why did Chuck Schumer have to do what he had to do?" Scarborough asked. "Because he's a Jew? Because there's a lot of Jews in New York? Why don't you just say Schumer did what he believed was right?"
Brzezinski then said Schumer did what he "believes was right," backing off her earlier statement.
Brzezinski, a vocal supporter of the agreement, ripped into Scarborough earlier in the segment after he slammed Iran deal proponents for their language against those wishing to see it torn up.
"That's always been the dog-whistle, hasn't it? It's the Jewish lobby," Scarborough said. "It's always been the dog whistle from the Left that you can't, if you're Chuck Schumer, sincerely be concerned about the safety and future existence of Israel. That's always been the dog whistle. Oh, you're just listening to the Jewish lobby. Why don't you just say international bankers? ... It's sick and it's repulsive and it's a smear and it continues, and the President of the United States only makes it worse by saying you have to be ignorant or else in bed with Iranian radicals if you oppose my deal."
Scarborough grew animated as he ripped "left-wingers" in America and Europe who assumed people against the Iran deal were doing so in bad faith.
"It's sickening. It's bigotry and it should be called out," Scarborough said. "Who cares suggest that Chuck Schumer is doing this --
"Oh my God," Brzezinski said. "Ok. That's like the fourth time. We get the point."
"No, you don't get the point!" Scarborough said. "You're the last person on the face of the Earth who appears to get the point."
Brzezinski said other senators who supported the deal had acknowledged it was a very difficult decision, but Scarborough shot back that President Obama himself had said it was an easy choice, reminding viewers of Obama's comparison of GOP opponents to the deal to Iranian hardliners.