Joe Scarborough

And if people say, oh, well, why didn't you attack Biden more? I did on Afghanistan. I did on the southern border. I did on, you know, the pin swimmer. I did on, you know, all of these other things. It's just like, I am really blessed. When I got elected to Congress at a very young age, I got elected despite the fact that Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party campaigned hard against me.

And they did that because they thought I was too conservative to get elected in my district. I won and it liberated me. So the rest of my political career, I got to say whatever I wanted to say without any fear of blowback. And it's the same thing that's happened at MSNBC. Despite the fact, obviously, primetime is progressive. I've gotten to say whatever I've wanted to say.

And they did that because they thought I was too conservative to get elected in my district. I won and it liberated me. So the rest of my political career, I got to say whatever I wanted to say without any fear of blowback. And it's the same thing that's happened at MSNBC. Despite the fact, obviously, primetime is progressive. I've gotten to say whatever I've wanted to say.

And they did that because they thought I was too conservative to get elected in my district. I won and it liberated me. So the rest of my political career, I got to say whatever I wanted to say without any fear of blowback. And it's the same thing that's happened at MSNBC. Despite the fact, obviously, primetime is progressive. I've gotten to say whatever I've wanted to say.

Phil Griffin called me up one day the first week I was on Morning Joe 18 years ago and had a suggestion. And I said, I love you, Phil, but you want to do the show, you can do the show. But I'm here for three hours, so I'm going to do it the way I want to do it.

Phil Griffin called me up one day the first week I was on Morning Joe 18 years ago and had a suggestion. And I said, I love you, Phil, but you want to do the show, you can do the show. But I'm here for three hours, so I'm going to do it the way I want to do it.

Phil Griffin called me up one day the first week I was on Morning Joe 18 years ago and had a suggestion. And I said, I love you, Phil, but you want to do the show, you can do the show. But I'm here for three hours, so I'm going to do it the way I want to do it.

Everybody I know that knew Biden, that talked to Biden regularly, was shocked. Now, there's a big asterisk here. There's a big caveat here. So, I had a ton of contacts in Biden world, but I wasn't on the inner, inner circle. I wasn't, you know, I didn't talk to Jill Biden. I didn't talk to Steve Verschetti. I didn't talk to Mike Donilon and I didn't talk to Annie Tomasini.

Everybody I know that knew Biden, that talked to Biden regularly, was shocked. Now, there's a big asterisk here. There's a big caveat here. So, I had a ton of contacts in Biden world, but I wasn't on the inner, inner circle. I wasn't, you know, I didn't talk to Jill Biden. I didn't talk to Steve Verschetti. I didn't talk to Mike Donilon and I didn't talk to Annie Tomasini.

Everybody I know that knew Biden, that talked to Biden regularly, was shocked. Now, there's a big asterisk here. There's a big caveat here. So, I had a ton of contacts in Biden world, but I wasn't on the inner, inner circle. I wasn't, you know, I didn't talk to Jill Biden. I didn't talk to Steve Verschetti. I didn't talk to Mike Donilon and I didn't talk to Annie Tomasini.

And those were the four people that, that were the innermost sanctum. Didn't talk to them. I spent a lot of time talking to the chief of staff and talking to Anita Dunn, talking to John Meacham, talking to other people around the president. And I would tell you in real time, Mike Barnicle, John Meacham, you know, I called John Meacham actually five minutes before the debate.

And those were the four people that, that were the innermost sanctum. Didn't talk to them. I spent a lot of time talking to the chief of staff and talking to Anita Dunn, talking to John Meacham, talking to other people around the president. And I would tell you in real time, Mike Barnicle, John Meacham, you know, I called John Meacham actually five minutes before the debate.

And those were the four people that, that were the innermost sanctum. Didn't talk to them. I spent a lot of time talking to the chief of staff and talking to Anita Dunn, talking to John Meacham, talking to other people around the president. And I would tell you in real time, Mike Barnicle, John Meacham, you know, I called John Meacham actually five minutes before the debate.

And I said, what are you hearing? How's he doing? He goes, well, the old man's sounding good. His voice is a little hoarse, but he's sounding okay. And that was five minutes before. I called him five minutes after. I was like, John, what in the world? And same with Barnicle and everybody else. So I... Again, I don't know that they weren't paying attention. That's your take.

And I said, what are you hearing? How's he doing? He goes, well, the old man's sounding good. His voice is a little hoarse, but he's sounding okay. And that was five minutes before. I called him five minutes after. I was like, John, what in the world? And same with Barnicle and everybody else. So I... Again, I don't know that they weren't paying attention. That's your take.

And I said, what are you hearing? How's he doing? He goes, well, the old man's sounding good. His voice is a little hoarse, but he's sounding okay. And that was five minutes before. I called him five minutes after. I was like, John, what in the world? And same with Barnicle and everybody else. So I... Again, I don't know that they weren't paying attention. That's your take.

I think people that were close to him that saw him day in and day out, night in and night out, were shot. That doesn't speak to the inner circle. I don't know. Maybe Donlon, Reschetti, and Jill Biden saw something the rest of us didn't see day in and day out.

I think people that were close to him that saw him day in and day out, night in and night out, were shot. That doesn't speak to the inner circle. I don't know. Maybe Donlon, Reschetti, and Jill Biden saw something the rest of us didn't see day in and day out.

I think people that were close to him that saw him day in and day out, night in and night out, were shot. That doesn't speak to the inner circle. I don't know. Maybe Donlon, Reschetti, and Jill Biden saw something the rest of us didn't see day in and day out.

I think the biggest mistake they made was sort of the first mistake, which was... And something that Mike Barnicle was saying from the first days of the administration, which was their... they're blocking him in there. They need to let him get out. They need to let him talk more. They need to stop protecting him so much.