MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, often a strong critic of former President Donald Trump, said Republicans could be proud of Trump's handling of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Scarborough, who co-hosts "Morning Joe" with wife Mika Brzezinski, complimented Trump despite his spouse's objections.
"Republicans have something to be very proud of," Scarborough said Tuesday. "We can go ... and every time I do something like this, I get in trouble with Mika.”
To which Brzezinski replied, "Yeah, I see what you're doing. Go ahead and do it."
Scarborough then continued expressing his thought.
"Republicans can look at the vaccine and go, 'Donald Trump, he and his team did a pretty damned good job picking Pfizer and picking Moderna — did a really good job,'" Scarborough said.
"Or did they pick him?" Brzezinski said.
"You can't help yourself," Scarborough said to his wife. "It’s like a tic. If you don't think they did a good job, compare their choices to the [European Union's] choices. They did a good job. And so, Republicans, stand up and applaud your president, your team, your administration."
Scarborough and Brzezinski spoke during a round-table discussion that included three guests, including The Washington Post's David Ignatius.
Ignatius said Scarborough was "precisely correct," and asked the co-host of his view of President Joe Biden’s role with the vaccines.
"If you're a Democrat, stand up and celebrate the fact that he can do the logistics in a way that Donald Trump just wasn't good at doing logistics," Scarborough said. "So go, team. Team being America. There’s a reason for both sides to celebrate. This is pretty incredible, what America has done."
In late-May, Trump also credited his administration for its handling of the vaccine.
"New United States COVID cases, because of the record-breaking development of the vaccine and its early purchase and distribution by the Trump Administration, has hit its lowest level in more than one year, and falling fast," Trump said in a May 25 statement.
"I want to thank all within the Trump Administration who pushed so hard for a vaccine and got it done in less than nine months when everybody was saying it would take at least 3-5 years, and probably not happen. Without the vaccine the world would be a much different place right now.
"Thank you also to the U.S. Military for its incredible distribution and logistical planning. Operation Warp Speed and our decision to purchase billions of dollars of vaccine before it was even approved, has been ‘One of the greatest miracles of the ages,’ according to many. Thank you!"
Also late last month, Trump accused Scarborough and Brzezinski of launching attacks on him because their show rankings are dropping.
"Crazy Joe Scarborough and his blood-curdling, psycho wife (?), Mika, are going crazy because their ratings have absolutely TANKED," Trump said in a statement. "They are wrong too often and always predictable. They were right about me in 2016, but I did better in the 2020 Election with 12 million more votes. Stay tuned!"
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.