Morning Joe Host Scarborough Blasts Trump's Supreme Court Response as 'Orwellian'
MSNBC's Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough flew into a furious rage on Monday's broadcast over former President Donald Trump's response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn his sweeping tariff agenda last week. Scarborough branded Trump's remarks as fundamentally dishonest and dangerously manipulative.
'Everything He Is Saying Is Wrong'
"Everything he is saying is wrong. Everything is the opposite. It's the most Orwellian thing," Scarborough declared emphatically after airing a clip of Trump. The former president had suggested that three justices who ruled against him on Friday might have been improperly influenced by figures from overseas.
Scarborough responded with incredulity: "Foreign influences? Please. Is this projection? Is this confession coming from the president?" Co-host Mika Brzezinski interjected pointedly, questioning, "Is the Constitution foreign?"
Trump's Controversial Claims
The controversy stems from Trump's comments to reporters on Friday following the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling. The decision determined that a 1979 law did not grant the president authority to unilaterally impose tariffs. Trump asserted that the court's judgment was swayed not only by "foreign interests" but also by "a political movement that is far smaller than people would think."
Still reacting heatedly, Scarborough referenced a Friday op-ed from The Wall Street Journal that characterized Trump's remarks as "the low point of his second term." With a dismissive smirk, Scarborough countered, "Please, seriously, I mean, Casey [Kasem] could count down the hits and this wouldn't be the top 40. You would have to go to a year-end 100 countdown for the top 100 shocking things he's said—that may crack the top 10."
Constitutional Clarity and Conservative Defections
The Supreme Court's majority opinion, delivered by Chief Justice John Roberts, stated unequivocally that the Constitution makes it "very" clear that the power to impose taxes and tariffs resides with Congress, not the commander-in-chief. This ruling represents a significant legal and political setback for the Trump administration's economic policies.
Notably, conservative justices appointed by Trump himself, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch, joined the majority in ruling against his tariff plan. Trump, speaking from the White House, insisted, "It's my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think. And I think certain justices are still afraid of that." He added, "They don't want to do the right thing. They're afraid of it." The specific foreign entities Trump referenced remain entirely unclear.
Scarborough's Constitutional Critique
Scarborough continued his critique by highlighting Trump's dismissive attitude toward congressional authority. "[Trump] was asked, 'Are you going to go to Congress?' He said, 'I don't need Congress.' He said, 'I don't need anybody,'" Scarborough recounted. "He really needs somebody to read the Constitution to him. It's pretty simple. Legislate. Do it the way of the Constitution. You have no other choice," the host asserted firmly.
The Wall Street Journal op-ed further argued that Trump owed the court an apology—a prospect both the author and Scarborough presented as highly improbable. The 6-3 decision specifically struck down the varying tariff rates Trump had deployed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 toward the beginning of his second term, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over executive power versus legislative authority.
