MSNBC continued to air breaking news coverage Monday morning in the wake of former President Donald Trump being shot at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday, rather than air its standard Morning Joe program.
A report from CNN’s Oliver Darcy claims the network decided that the breaking news coverage was a more important choice for its viewers than featuring the commentary usually provided by former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough and his co-host Mika Brzezinski.
“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” a network spokesperson said. “As we continue to cover this story into the week, the networks will continue to cross simulcast, alternating between NBC News, NBC News NOW and ‘MSNBC Reports,’ so there is one news feed covering this developing situation.”
After the assassination attempt Saturday, many turned their attention and vitriol of the situation to the media, especially toward those who have been overly critical of Trump. The Morning Joe hosts are some of the most vocal critics of the 45th President, with some now arguing its critical coverage has gone too far.
The choice to remove Scarborough and Brzezinski isn’t an unprecedented one for the cable news network. After the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel last year, MSNBC removed three of its Muslim hosts — Ali Velshi, Mehdi Hasan, and Ayman Mohyeldin — from its airwaves, which led to criticism and questioning from both observers and those working alongside the trio. The network denied the allegations that it had sidelined the hosts and reporters. However, it later completely canceled Hasan’s show, leading to his exit from the network.
