Trump vents furiously about TV shows he doesn’t like in Monday morning social media spree

President Donald Trump used a Monday-morning burst of Truth Social posts to belittle two television hosts, Bill Maher of HBO and Joe Scarborough of MS NOW, at a time when the U. S. is engaged in a war with Iran and his approval rating is historically low. He claimed Maher's ratings were so weak that it was hard to believe the program could go on, while adding that he actually likes the host. He also urged Republicans to quit treating the show as a sounding board, saying it makes them look weak and foolish. Some GOP lawmakers have been using Maher's program as a friendly venue as the host grows more critical of progressive positions, according to The Independent.

Trump then predicted Scarborough's program would soon be "dead," describing it as predictable, boring and poorly rated. Yet Mediaite reports that Morning Joe drew 733,000 viewers on average in August, up 27 percent from the prior year and best among morning shows in the Washington, D. C. market. Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski had drawn criticism in 2024 for visiting Mar-a-Lago after Trump won the election, a trip they defended as a way to restore communication with him.

Scarborough answered on the air, holding a book by guest Eric Idle and joking that he did not find the war boring. Fellow host Jonathan Lemire teased that the glow of MSDNC was visible from the White House window. Scarborough asked Trump to stop watching and to stick to channels he likes.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →