Joe Scarborough: Trump Isn’t Really A Racist Buffoon, It’s Just A “Character He’s Playing”

The morning after GOP nominee and Cheeto Jesus Donald Trump fooled the Beltway punditry class for the zillionth time over a supposed ‘pivot’ with another teleprompter speech, Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough predictably joined the chorus. In Scarborough’s view, Trump on the teleprompter is actually closer to the ‘real-life’ Trump than the one we see on Twitter and at campaign rallies.

Say what? Yep. See, JoeScar knows Trump personally, he and Mika Brzezinski have been friends with him for years, and the person they see in private is nothing like the bigoted asshole with fascistic leanings that has been stumping for President for 14 months. That guy, the one one running for the White House, is just a role that Donald Trump is playing.

During a panel discussion on Morning Joe, Scarborough spent an inordinate amount of time trying to convince everyone else that Trump is really a great guy and that if he dumps the ‘act’ he’s been putting on, others will realize how awesome he is, too. In response to correspondent Katty Kay noting that Trump didn’t even really apologize when he said he “regrets” some of the words he’s blurted over the campaign, Joe said this:

“I will say, though, one of the great ironies of this campaign, I’ve said it here on the show every day, is anybody — and Donny [Deutsch] certainly has known Donald for a long time — anybody that knows Donald knows that that Donald last night was closer to the Donald Trump that we’ve all known for decades than the character he’s playing. Because make no mistake of it, make no mistake of it, this loud, screaming, racially insensitive, at times race-baiting buffoon that gets behind microphones at political rallies, that’s Donald Trump playing a role. I just think — unless the Donald Trump that we’ve known for 20 years is not the Donald Trump.”

Kay, unconvinced, responded with the the following:

“It’s also the Donald Trump that came up with the Muslim ban and the Mexicans being rapists and things that he’s said about women. Those are his statements, he owns them.”

Scarborough, though, wanted to make sure Katty knew that it wasn’t the REAL DONALD. No, no, no. That is just this particular role he’s playing. So very Method, that Donnie. And since Kay doesn’t know Trump in private like he and Donny and Mika, she needs to sit down and shut up.

“Right, right, Katty. And that’s exactly what I was saying about the guy that gets behind the microphone. I’m just saying, this is an interesting pivot because as he goes to teleprompter, he’s actually becoming more of the Donald Trump that Donny and Mika and myself and everybody else has known for decades, which is really bizarre, that he’s got to go to teleprompter to be more naturally himself. I’ll ask you this question, again. Because the list of offenses are so long. The Mexicans, the Muslims, John McCain, Megyn Kelly, etc., etc. Have you in 20 years of knowing Donald Trump behind closed doors — and I’m not asking for you to vouch for his character, I’m just trying to make this point — have you ever heard him say the first thing in private that was close to being racially insensitive. Never, right? Never.”

However, Deutsch, while making sure everyone knew that he was a member of the New York elite and was super-rich, pointed out that although he’s been buddies with Trump in the past, he can’t easily forgive the real estate mogul’s comments and positions as Joe obviously can.

“Let me describe — never. Let me describe my relationship with Donald, what I know about Donald. And as I said, I did three episodes of The Apprentice where I’ve hosted, I interviewed him 10 times, our kids go to the same school, I lived in one of his buildings, I know his kids well. I’ve always found him to be charming, smart, generous of spirit if you ever called him up. Having said that, this man I’ve seen up on the stump is repulsive to me. And I can’t separate and I can’t go, OK, but that’s the real Donald.”

In recent months, Trump has boycotted Morning Joe after being a mainstay on the program throughout the GOP primary. He labeled Joe and Mika as “supporters” of his, had them up in his hotel room to watch the New Hampshire primary returns, did a much-maligned town hall on MSNBC with the duo that was essentially an infomercial and was given hours of positive press coverage by the program. In fact, the show became known as Morning Trump and was described as a Super PAC for the Trump campaign.

Since then, the former reality TV star has feuded with Scarborough on Twitter, hurling insults at both the host and program. Joe has responded in kind, calling Trump out on his bigotry and incendiary rhetoric. Yet, based on these remarks today, it is apparent that Joe is also playing a character. Like pro wrestling, which Trump is very familiar with, the two are doing a ‘work.’ Right now, Scarborough’s playing the ‘tough media pundit’ who will call ’em like he sees ’em.

But, in the end, he’ll turn, and reveal he was with the heel the whole time.

Below is video of the entire segment, courtesy of MSNBC: