Former CNBC host Donny Deutsch, an avid Donald Trump critic, on Friday offered rare praise to the president for his tough rhetoric on North Korea.
Deutsch told MSNBC host Joe Scarborough that he believes what Trump has said this week regarding North Korea is "needed at this point."
Tensions have been high in recent days between the two countries as Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. Trump has warned North Korea that he may respond with military action if the rogue country continues to threaten the U.S. and act "unwisely." Trump's comments have created a media firestorm.
But Deutsch, who has frequently castigated Trump, said a tougher posture is necessary, Mediaite reported.
"You know, nobody has been more critical of Trump," Deutsch said on "Morning Joe." "I didn't have a huge problem with what he did, to tell you the truth."
Deutsch told Scarborough that he thought he was "dancing around" giving credit to Trump for standing up to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"We have a leader in North Korea whose only objective is to stay in power," Deutsch said. "And I actually think that rhetoric was kind of needed at this point."
"Nobody has been more critical of this guy," Deutsch reminded Scarborough and the rest of the MSNBC panel.
Deutsch noted that many of his friend and people he talks to feel the same way, but quipped that some of his peers will not be happy with his praise for Trump in the Hamptons this weekend.
"I, and a lot of people I talk to also—and this is not going to do well for me in the Hamptons this weekend—under their breath are saying, 'You know what? Maybe that needed to be said,'" Deutsch said.
Scarborough joked that he would not know much about the Hamptons because he never goes there and is a "man of the people right now in Middle America."
"But I will tell you that I have been shocked by people in Middle America, hearing people saying the same thing," Scarborough said.
"Yes, they are frightened by the rhetoric," Scarborough said. "But at the same time then they say, 'Well, you know what? What the hell did Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama do?'"
"We haven't been standing up to the Chinese for 30 years," he added.