Joe Scarborough Was ‘Very Pleased and Actually Comforted’ by Trump’s Coronavirus Press Conference

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough offered rare praise for President Donald Trump on Thursday. The Morning Joe host said the President’s decision to hold a press conference with CDC officials provided comfort to him. This may come as a surprise to those who’ve criticized Trump’s response.

“I know a lot of people were slamming the President for what he did,” Trump said, referring to Trump’s initial comments on the virus.

“I think we are better off this morning because he did what he did than had he not gone out at all,” he said.

Scarborough noted that there were ‘little side barbs’ in what Trump said, but praised him for refusing to talk about his recent India trip an instead discussing the outbreak.

“I don’t really want to talk about that. Let’s talk about the virus,” Scarborough said. “Grading on the Trump scale, lower scale, I was very pleased and actually comforted that the President of the United States brought the entire health care team out, and they talked to Americans about this very important situation.”

Trump has been widely criticized for downplaying the risks from the disease. Recent reporting claimed the President was furious about the recent fall in the stock market and wanted his officials not to make any statements that could adversely affect markets.

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.