‘Morning Joe’ host says ‘they can get somebody else to host this show’ if MSNBC benches broadcast again

The namesake host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” decried the network’s decision to preempt the morning program on July 15, 2024.

The show returned to MSNBC Tuesday, July 16, 2024, and its hosts took the opportunity to address its absence the previous day.

Co-host Joe Scarborough said he was “surprised” and “disappointed” in the decision.

“We were told in no uncertain terms on Sunday evening (July 14, 2024) that there was going to be one news feed against all channels,” he said leading into the show’s 7 a.m. eastern hour, referring to the network’s decision to simulcast coverage of the RNC and assassination attempt across MSNBC, NBC and NBC News Now.

Scarborough said the “Morning Joe” team was told that MSNBC would stay in “breaking news mode” all day July 15, before pointing out that ultimately didn’t happen, referencing what he called “blowback” from the preemption as a possible reason that the network switched gears. 

“I think the reason is why is that this show began, an continues 17 years later, on being the place to go to have the hard conversations in a civil way and so it seemed like now more than every is a day, a time, that we would like to be on, and I think our viewers agree with that,” said co-host Mika Brzezinski.

Willie Geist, who lead NBC’s coverage Sunday, July 14, alongside Savannah Guthrie, made a brief comment on how he was “suited up and ready to go” Monday morning.

“We want to be here for our audience and we know you trust us and we have ultimate respect for you guys, so we are here today and wish we would have been here yesterday,” said Geist.

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After that discussion, the show swiftly switched gears, returning to coverage of the assassination attempt investigation. 

An MSNBC spokesperson denied a CNN report that the network opted to preempt “Morning Joe” after concerns about what its guests might say in light of the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

Scarborough, meanwhile, hinted that if a similar decision is made in the future, he could walk away from the network.

“Next time we’re told there’s going to be a news feed replacing us, we will be in our chairs, and the news feed will be us or they can get somebody else to host this show,” he said on air July 16.

Scarborough co-hosts “Morning Joe” alongside Brzezinski, who is also his wife. The couple frequently broadcast from their home in Florida using a remote studio the network built for them so that, at least in part, Scarborough can maintain his Florida residency requirements. 

He and Brzezinski appeared to be broadcasting from Florida July 16, with Willie Geist holding down the fort in Studio 3A in New York with in-studio guests, a frequent setup for the show.

“Morning Joe” is typically considered more of a morning talk show as opposed to a straight news program.

MSNBC as a whole tends to lean left, though Scarborough is a former Republican Congressman. He has become a vocal critic of Donald Trump and the current GOP, along with fellow MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace, who served as White House communications director under GOP President George W. Bush and now hosts two hours of “Deadline: White House” for the network.

Wallace appeared on MSNBC later in the day from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. 

“Morning Joe” tends to focus more on politics — to the point that the backgrounds behind its hosts tend to feature Washington, D.C. landmarks despite the show frequently originating from New York and Florida.

That said, it also responds to the news of the day and its hosts have been known to handle breaking news coverage of non-political stories.

MSNBC’s decision to drop “Morning Joe” for its schedule does stand out because the show typically appears even during major news events; it aired on the morning of Jan. 7, 2021, following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, for example. It also frequently airs special editions the morning after major political events, including elections.

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