‘Do Your Job’: Scarborough Goes on Twitter Tirade After Media Critic Calls Him Trump Supporter

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough went off on media critic and New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen on Twitter Tuesday after Rosen claimed that Scarborough was biased in favor of Donald Trump.

It all began after Rosen posted a tweet about an open letter from Huffington Post journalists asking voters not to vote for Trump. In response to a question from The Deseret News‘ Herb Scribner, he said he has no problem with outlets taking different approaches to Trump so long as they were upfront, and cited Scarborough as someone who denied his bias.

This open letter from two Huff Post journalists to Trump supporters who are not racist https://t.co/Y7jnvNeVnP is a complex rhetorical act.

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) March 8, 2016

@HerbScribner I don’t have a problem with @JoeNBC being the Trump-friendly morning show. But when called that, own up to it. He wouldn’t.

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) March 8, 2016

Unsurprisingly, Scarborough did not care for that characterization one bit.

Jay, do your job and stop shopping around generalities on Twitter. You’re supposed to be better than that. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Asking of Trump’s Muslim ban, “Is this what Germany looked like in 1933?” hardly seems like the Trump friendly pose. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Also compare our Trump Townhall with CNNs. Not a close call on who was “Trump friendly.” https://t.co/E1l04UvjjO https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Maybe you missed where I called his David Duke answer “disqualifying”https://t.co/EyUrfCIw6I https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

I expect lazy generalizations and cherry picking from tweeters. I’d expect more from you. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Find another morning news host 1/compared the Muslim ban to ’33 Germany 2/said his Duke comments were “disqualifying https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

You can’t. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

I’m transparent when it comes to my support. I was going to vote for Jeb & told viewers, as I am with Kasich now. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

I also told viewers in 2012 that I voted for Ron Paul as a protest vote. Despite that, I was tough on him. https://t.co/AGp1sxSKr6

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

We’ve known Donald for a long time, but that relationship won’t effect our coverage (or my vote.) @jayrosen_nyu

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

The Indianapolis Star‘s Mary Beth Schneider jumped in to tell Scarborough to just let it go, but he was having none of that.

@JoeNBC @jayrosen_nyu @HerbScribner In the immortal words of Frozen, “Let it go.”

— Mary Beth Schneider (@marybschneider) March 8, 2016

You feel free to “let it go” when people who should know better mischaracterize your work. I won’t let that go. https://t.co/lF3HNVfdIY

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Rosen then pointed out that Scarborough’s confessed friendship with Trump was exactly the problem. But Scarborough rejected that argument, saying Rosen just didn’t like Trump.

I’d recommend this argument, Joe: BECAUSE we are friendly confines for Donald, when we get tough with him it stings. https://t.co/BWdaKxv5oe

— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) March 8, 2016

That argument would work better for Jeb or Kasich. I’ve been friends with them for over 20 years. https://t.co/92wvESKRQI

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

Admit it. This is just a Trump thing.

I’ve been “friendlier” with Jeb and Kasich but no complaints about that. https://t.co/92wvESKRQI

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 8, 2016

[Image via screengrab]
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