MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski clashed with marketing professional Donny Deutsch Tuesday as he argued that Americans will accept President Donald Trump’s pardoning of January 6 protesters because he is “feeding” them with what they want and need.
Trump signed an executive order Monday evening to issue “full, complete and unconditional pardons” for an estimated 1,500 individuals charged in connection to their alleged actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Deutsch argued that Americans will accept Trump’s pardoning of these defendants because the president has “co-opted America’s heartbeat,” prompting a heated exchange with the “Morning Joe” co-hosts.
“Well, if America’s heartbeat is to have hostage families standing behind him, that marketing visual is quite something … ” Brzezinski argued in response.
Deutsch criticized Democrats for not appearing to understand that Americans will accept the pardons and other so-called “ridiculous” actions if the president’s words are resonating with them.
“I’m not saying you may not like that,” Deutsch continued.
“I’m talking about January 6,” Brzezinski snapped.
“Listen to me, listen to me. Well J6, people will absorb it because he gives them what they want in other places. I want the Democrats to learn that you can even get away with things as ridiculous as that if you’re feeding people what they want to hear and what they need,” Deutsch said.
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Scarborough argued that Trump had informed the public of his intention to pardon January 6 protesters, and added that he is “breaking every norm.” Brzezinski told Deutsch that he cannot simply “ignore” that Trump is allegedly breaking these said norms.
“Well [Trump] actually told them, again, he told them what he was going to do. And he’s providing the bread and the circuses as they said in Roman days. That entertains them. But underneath that are things that he’s doing, breaking every norm after another,” Scarborough said, prompting Brzezinski to say that cannot be ignored.
“Nobody’s saying ignore it, I’m saying the opposite, actually,” Deutsch said.
The president vowed to review the cases regarding the Jan. 6 defendants throughout his campaign, stating in May 2023 that he planned to pardon a “large portion” of those federally charged.
An approximate 1,508 defendants faced federal charges in connection to the riot, according to the Department of Justice. Among those defendants, 608 individuals were accused of “assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement agents or officers,” while 174 defendants were charged with “using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.”
Former President Joe Biden, who had the lowest recorded approval rating of any president upon leaving office, issued last-minute pardons for former White House senior medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and five members of his family right before he exited office. He further commuted sentences for violent criminals, including two men whose actions led to the death of a police officer.
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