There’s a point where your hatred of someone forces you to cross lines that you really shouldn’t, and MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough did so on Monday in his Washington Post article, where he claimed that President Donald Trump is more dangerous to the “dream of America” than the terrorists who caused 9/11.
(Read: On the Anniversary of 9/11, Joe Scarborough Appallingly Compares Trump to Terrorists)
Naturally, this has caused a backlash of righteous fury from many who not only shamed him for using 9/11 as a backdrop for a political hit but also for his hypocrisy, as he was elevating Trump before he became President.
Scarborough has now come back with an apology for his comments, but it’s not really an apology. As Scarborough says in a series of tweets, he doesn’t feel remorse for such a shameless use of one of America’s greatest atrocities to slap Trump, he’s just sorry he wasn’t more careful with his wording.
His non-apology summary? Trump supporters are to blame for all the backlash, and only over the headline and the last paragraph.
Jeryl, you’re a great example for all of us—especially me today. Many have been offended by a tweet I sent out earlier re: my @washingtonpost article. Even if they did not read the article, I should have shown more care on the tweet’s wording and the column’s conclusion. https://t.co/A7zJR38JiC
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) September 11, 2018
The column was focused on 17 years of strategic missteps. The last paragraph became the sole focus of Trump supporters. On every other day of the year, I do not shy away from negative feedback from the right, the left or from Trump supporters.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) September 11, 2018
Scarborough went on to claim that he’s going to go over his article and see if he can’t make things less offensive to those who were offended.
On September 11th, I’ll read the column again and think about whether I could have said the same thing in a way less offensive to Trump supporters on September 11th.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) September 11, 2018
Thing is, there’s no way to make an article like his less offensive. Using the deaths of 3,000 people as a platform for tearing down a political figure is disgusting by itself, and Scarborough shouldn’t have even entertained the thought that something like that would be okay.
This non-apology only makes it worse. It shows that Scarborough isn’t even really sorry for what he said, he’s just sorry WE took it wrong. That’s right. It’s your fault that you’re outraged because you didn’t understand him.
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