Morning Joe Rips Into Trump’s Capitol Claim

MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” hosts Mika Brzezinski and Jonathan Lemire tore into President Trump after his “Meet the Press” interview, calling his claims about Jan. 6 rioters being led by the FBI a “complete farce” and accusing him of lying to the American public.

Trump’s return to the airwaves on “Meet the Press” didn’t just spark disagreement—it lit a match under the hosts of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”

Mika Brzezinski zeroed in on a specific claim from President Trump during his interview with “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker: that a large portion of the insurrectionists and rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 were led there by the FBI.

Brzezinski didn’t mince words. “[He’s] lying to the American people. Those folks had zip ties. They had a noose,” she said. “They’re criminals who were convicted of their crimes. I know the president pardoned them because. for some reason in his twisted thinking. these people deserve something more than what they got. Many of them have gone out to commit more crimes since they’ve been pardoned.”.

Jonathan Lemire backed up her point with a broader timeline critique. saying there is “no evidence that the FBI ushered anybody in.” He added that even if Trump’s framing were accepted. it would still mean the FBI would have been acting under a “Donald Trump Department of Justice.” Then Lemire delivered the key kicker: “Biden had not taken the Oath of Office yet. It’s a complete farce.”.

For Lemire, the issue wasn’t only what Trump said—it was the willingness to keep saying it. “This is the President of the United States thinking it is OK to go on television and lie over and over and over to not only his interviewer. but to the American people. ” he continued. “It is something that is fundamentally damaged about our democracy right now that he’s able to do this. and I worry about where we’re heading. not just between now and November. but in the years ahead.”.

The conversation on “Morning Joe” also turned to what journalists should do when confronted with claims like Trump’s. Brzezinski praised Welker’s effort in the moment, but insisted the standard can’t be negotiation when the facts are being distorted.

“That was absolutely a great, great, great effort. But I would stop at the first lie. I wouldn’t allow any lies on my program,” Brzezinski said of Welker’s interview. “We can’t have a complicit media. We can’t be involved at all with spreading lies.”

Later Monday morning, Brzezinski urged reporters to push harder for clarity. “We all must be more aggressive than ever in getting the facts out to viewers,” she said. “[Trump’s] lies must be met with facts and run over and not allowed on decent broadcasts that represent journalism. His insults must be answered with the truth that he does not want to hear. and his cabinet’s efforts to blur reality must be knocked down at every turn.”.

Brzezinski concluded by pointing to a pattern she said the country has already seen too many times. “I actually think Kristen Welker did everything she could do in that moment. But we’ve seen this now many times over,” she said. “If the president says the grass is blue and you go on to another topic. aren’t you tacitly normalizing that lie?. I would stay at the lie.”.

The full “Morning Joe” segment is available to watch through a video embed shared alongside the discussion.

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