Morning Joe Crew Mocks Trump’s Pearl Harbor Quip: ‘Felt Like I Was Watching SNL’

MS NOW’s Morning Joe crew roundly mocked President Donald Trump’s awkward Pearl Harbor dig during his Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as absurd and like a skit from Saturday Night Live.

During the meeting on Thursday, as the pair took questions, Trump drew the historical reference when pressed by a Japanese reporter on why key allies had not been warned in advance of U.S. strikes on Iran. The reporter asked why countries such as Japan and European partners were not notified ahead of the operation.

Trump responded by invoking the shock 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor that dragged the U.S. into World War II, asking: “Why did you not tell me about Pearl Harbor?” He went on to suggest that Japan believes in “surprise” more than the U.S.

After rolling back the clip on Friday morning’s show, host Joe Scarborough was left briefly speechless.

“Yeah –” he began, “Yeah, that’s –”

He continued: “That’s something you wouldn’t see from any other president because usually presidents are trying to be nice to allies. I have a feeling that’s going to show up, you know, you know the AI baby thing? Capital babies or whatever they do. Yeah, that one’s going to show up. Yeah, that one’s going to show up.”

“That was, like, I mean, wow, almost felt like I was watching SNL or something like,” co-host Mika Brzezinski added.

“Well, you know, you almost felt like you were, yeah,” Scarborough agreed.

He added: “You were watching a follow-up of him going on and on, insulting France’s leader a month or so earlier. So it’s interesting, you know, this is really the time when we want allies on our side. I’m not talking about that quip just by itself, I’m just saying you look what’s happened over the last month or two and this president is doing the exact opposite of presidents in the past have done, as far as bringing the allies in a little bit closer.”

“Definitely not normal,” his co-host interjected.

Scarborough replied: “Mika, that’s a lot of people say that’s why they voted for him. And well, you asked for it, you got it.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” she said. “President Trump, I’m, like, I’m embarrassed for the country.”

Guest Anand Giridharadas cut in: “I didn’t know he was such a history buff.”

Brzezinski laughed.

Giridharadas continued: “To Joe’s word allies. I think you have to actually understand at a gut level what an ally is, even in your personal life. This is a man who only understands transactions in every walk of his life. And it’s manifesting on the biggest stage.”

“That was something,” Brzezinski replied.

Watch adobe via MS NOW.

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