Scarborough Slams ‘Pathetic’ Mike Pence for ‘Lying’ Over Border Detention Conditions: ‘Should Read the Gospels’

 

Joe Scarborough lit into Vice President Mike Pence for what he saw as “lying” to CNN’s Jake Tapper over “deplorable” conditions at border detention centers for children reported by a heart-wrenching story in this week’s New Yorker.

The article reports that the conditions of border detention centers holding young children are nearly uninhabitable, with children being denied basic needs like soap, toothbrushes and even a warm and safe place to sleep. Or as was described in the segment above, “7 and 8-year-olds simply being forced to take care of 5-month-olds so they don’t know, because no one else would soiled diapers, shirts covered with mucus.”

When confronted about these conditions by Tapper on Sunday’s CNN program State of the Union, VP Pence appeared to jovially dismiss the claims of government-sanctioned squalor as a result of congressional appropriations delays.

After airing the clip, a visibly shocked Scarborough replied:

“Mike Pence is lying about children living in torturous positions right there. Mike Pence who claims to be a devout Christian — I’m sure he is, but he uses it as a political badge of honor. Mike should read the gospels again and see what Jesus says about the treatment of little children. You can start at Luke 17:2. Something about no stones being hung around people’s neck. You have got to explain to us what does the administration think they are gaining by allowing children to walk around the lice and walk around without diapers and 8-year-olds having to take care of 2 or 3-year-olds?”

Criticism of the Trump administration is a constant theme on the set of Morning Joe, and normally calling out an administrative official by a host or regular panelist would not merit attention. But the shocked reaction on set after airing Pence’s clip — and the follow-up criticism — was truly remarkable.

Watch above via MSNBC>

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Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats.