Morning Joe Host Joe Scarborough Slams Trump for Jokes on White House Correspondents’ Dinner Redo

Joe Scarborough skewered President Trump on Monday morning over the commander-in-chief’s jokes at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner redo, flatly remarking that Americans cannot afford groceries. Speaking on MS NOW, the anchor criticized the timing and focus of the administration’s public remarks amidst mounting household financial pressures.

Economic Realities Versus Political Punchlines

“We’ve got a country that can’t stop fighting. We’ve got a country that can’t afford to eat, and we’ve got a president that can’t stop talking about people’s weight,” Scarborough said on Monday. “Russia’s grinding fight in Ukraine continues to squeeze fertilizer and energy markets, and it’s been doing that for years. That means higher prices for you. The president could help end the Ukraine war. In fact, he could have done it his first day in office. But he won’t.”

“[Trump] refuses to push [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, and you and your family pay for it in their pocketbooks,” he continued. “Try explaining that to our democratic allies across Europe. Try explaining that to working Americans that can’t even afford hamburger anymore.”

Scrutinizing Foreign Policy Claims

The critique extended past household grocery bills into active geopolitical flashpoints. Scarborough specifically slammed Trump for joking that the Iran War is going better than the fake news would have Americans believe.

“Americans’ approval of it collapses by the day,” the host said. “At an event that should have never been held, the president tells the room of reporters not to believe ‘fake news’ about how that war is going. Well, that ‘fake news’ actually comes from calls inside the house from the administration, from people who know it was a mistake to go in and there’s no good way to get out. So you be the judge of that.”

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Redo Controversy

During his WHCA dinner remarks on Friday, Trump made a number of divisive jokes, including a string of remarks about CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins’ physical appearance. The president questioned why Collins never smiles and went on to make a joke comparing her to trans actress-singer Dylan Mulvaney. Scarborough found the remarks not only tasteless, but poorly timed.

“Gas prices, they just keep spiraling up. The price of oil, spiraling up, and war, it drives up fuel and fertilizer prices and those prices drive up food,” Scarborough recapped. “It is food that’s eating more of your paycheck than at any time since Gerald Ford was President of the United States.”

“Against this backdrop, how did the president spend that same Friday night?” the anchor rhetorically asked. “He spent an hour on the physical appearance of the press corps in front of him, even telling CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on camera that she’s attractive but never smiles and seemed to compare her to a trans influencer.”

“I guess when the war is endless and Americans can’t afford groceries, make this story about a reporter’s smile instead,” Scarborough concluded. “I guess that’s easier than governing and actually admitting the cost of living in America is way too high. Something he still hasn’t done.”