CNN’s Byers and MSNBC’s Scarborough Fight on Twitter Over Trump Hotel Room Claims
On Wednesday’s Morning Joe, hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski found themselves in a unique situation: having to explain their way through claims that they have been “supporters” of Donald Trump‘s. The real estate mogul, who finished first in yesterday’s New Hampshire Primary, ended a phone interview with the duo this morning, where he said “It was great seeing you, you guys have been supporters and I appreciate it.”
It resulted in some backpedaling by Scarborough and Brzezinski; Scarborough clarified on-air, “There were a handful of people who for six months have been saying what happened last night could happen, and the rest of the media world has been mocking and ridiculing what he’s done.”
But a few hours later, CNN’s Dylan Byers took to Twitter to mention this little bombshell from the campaign trail, claiming that sources indicate the Morning Joe duo watched election returns from The Donald’s New Hampshire hotel:
Hello! @JoeNBC & @morningmika hung out in Trump’s hotel room last night during primary returns, 2 sources tell me > https://t.co/Yr1oqeeTHh
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 10, 2016
Within minutes, Scarborough aptly responded to Byers’ assertions, defiantly stating, “Your sources are wrong”:
Your sources are wrong, and your sources are CNN reporters. You spread a different lie about us every day. https://t.co/gBcBZ51kDw
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 10, 2016
But Scarborough wasn’t done, further asking Byers directly if CNN hired him only to “lie about Morning Joe”:
Did CNN hire you just to lie about Morning Joe? The obsession is unhealthy. I love CNN media “reporters” https://t.co/gBcBZ51kDw
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 10, 2016
The exchange continued:
@JoeNBC would you like to state on the record that you guys were not in Trump’s hotel room last night?
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 10, 2016
@DylanByers Troll CNN reporters. I understand you guys resent that we double your audience every day, but enough of the lying.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 10, 2016
Then go on rec and say I’m wrong. This game of not responding/staying off-rec then issuing ad hominems doesn’t work https://t.co/oCXLuNoduy
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 10, 2016
We will update this post as more developments take place in the Byers v. Scarborough battle.
UPDATE –– 3:04 pm EST: MSNBC issued a statement on CNN’s reporting. Here’s part of it:
CNN’s media reporter, Dylan Byers, is implying that Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski watched election returns with Donald Trump last night in New Hampshire. That is not true.
The Morning Joe hosts instead did what anchors are supposed to do — they interviewed the candidate’s senior staff to get background information on their strategy in New Hampshire, and on their campaign’s plans moving forward in South Carolina. The staff then invited the hosts to get Mr. Trump’s reaction to the victory. That discussion lasted less than five minutes.
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