Recently, two hosts from the American news network MSNBC met with President-elect Trump to reopen communication channels.
According to reports from the Associated Press, two hosts of the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, visited the Mar-a-Lago estate to meet with Trump two weeks after the election ended.
The news surprised their audience and Trump supporters alike because the two had been fierce critics of Trump, to the extent that MSNBC halted the broadcast of their program when Trump faced his first unsuccessful assassination attempt.
On November 18, the hosts revealed on their program that after years of intense debate, they would soon meet with Trump. They stated that they “realized it was time to do something different.”
“This is the first time we’ve seen him in seven years,” said Brzezinski. “We agreed to restart communication.”
She mentioned that her father, Zbigniew Brzezinski, often engaged in conversations with world leaders with differing opinions, as it is part of the work of journalists and commentators.
Her father had served as the National Security Advisor during President Jimmy Carter’s administration.
When asked why they were talking to the President-elect during this tense period, especially given their past criticism, Brzezinski responded, “Why not?”
Trump confirmed the meeting during an interview with Fox News, expressing appreciation for their willingness to have a public discussion. He mentioned feeling regretful that they hadn’t done so sooner in many aspects.
Trump stated that he doesn’t seek revenge, put on a show, or deal with those who have been very unfair to him.
“I always give people a second chance, or even a third chance, but never a fourth chance. That’s my bottom line,” he said.
Since the election, programs like “Morning Joe” have experienced a significant drop in viewership, following a pattern similar to the experiences of audiences supporting the losing party in previous years. However, after a break, many viewers typically return.
Scarborough seemed to anticipate criticism from some viewers regarding their meeting on the show. He reassured the audience, saying, “We are here to report on him and provide insights for you.”
During the same Fox News interview, Trump mentioned his obligation to remain open to the American public and accept media interviews. However, he stressed that if he is not treated fairly, it will all end.
After the meeting with Trump, Brzezinski, in an interview for “The Daily Beast” podcast, expressed her views on the current media landscape being dominated by echo chambers.
She elaborated on her role, saying, “My job is to talk to people I disagree with or have even been threatened by.” When discussing “normalizing” Trump, she emphasized the importance of discourse in today’s polarized political climate.
Brzezinski explained that most of her conversations with Trump fall under off-the-record content – a media term meaning that it cannot be directly quoted or reported.
“I hope we can have more dialogue between us,” she mentioned as she looked forward to a potential interview with Trump in the future.