MSNBC made the decision to temporarily pull the show 'Morning Joe' from the air on Monday following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump's life. This move sparked reactions from staffers who were reportedly unhappy with the decision to remove hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough from the airwaves. Sources indicated that there was a directive from higher-ups to 'tone down' coverage on Trump in light of the shocking incident at a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for the network, however, denied any top-down directive to reduce coverage on the Republican nominee and former president. Despite this, hosts Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow, and Nicole Wallace, known for their vocal criticism of Trump, are set to host special coverage on the Republican National Convention throughout the week. Brzezinski and Scarborough are scheduled to return to their show on Tuesday morning.
An insider at MSNBC clarified that the absence of Brzezinski and Scarborough on Monday was not as significant as portrayed, explaining that they were temporarily replaced for breaking news coverage led by other anchors. The decision to sideline 'Morning Joe' was attributed to the need to focus on reporting facts only during the unfolding situation.
Contrary to reports suggesting that the network replaced 'Morning Joe' with breaking news to avoid potential embarrassment from hosts or pundits making inappropriate comments about Trump, an NBCUniversal spokesperson emphasized that the continuous breaking news coverage was due to the gravity and complexity of the unfolding story.
While Brzezinski and Scarborough have not publicly commented on the situation, Scarborough did share a message on social media expressing prayers for President Trump, the injured individuals from the incident, and the families of those affected.
