Civil War Breaks Out at MSNBC as High Profile Contributor Incites Boycott Against 'Morning Joe'

Establishment-aligned commentators who present themselves as journalists now face critical decisions about their professional trajectory. They must either acknowledge that President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive 2024 election victory signals a public rejection of their persistent falsehoods, prompting a fresh approach, or double down on the extreme rhetoric that has alienated most Americans.

On Monday, Washington Post opinion writer and MSNBC contributor Jen Rubin chose the latter path on the social media platform Bluesky. Rubin subtly encouraged viewers to boycott MSNBC’s Morning Joe after its co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski disclosed their recent meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

“The market works great. You can stop watching Morning Joe anytime,” Rubin wrote, alluding to the fallout from the announcement made earlier that day.

Scarborough and Brzezinski, during their Monday broadcast, recounted their surprise meeting with Trump, which occurred the previous Friday. Attempting to strike a balance, they expressed a desire to “restart communications” with the president-elect while assuring their audience they would not “defend or normalize Donald Trump.”

However, their remarks seemed unlikely to satisfy either side. Trump supporters have little reason to trust them, given their past hostility, and Rubin’s fiery response reflects dissatisfaction from their liberal audience.

“On MJ: If you don’t appreciate the audience you have, betray that audience, and lose their trust, you are going to lose lots of them. I have seen this movie,” Rubin wrote on Bluesky.

In reaction to another user’s criticism of the co-hosts as opportunists, Rubin replied, “Disgusting,” doubling down on her disapproval.

This clash highlights a broader divide among anti-Trump liberals, distinguishing two factions within the establishment media. Scarborough and Brzezinski fall into the camp willing to adapt, signaling a shift to regain relevance. This group includes figures like President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whose post-election actions suggest their harsh anti-Trump rhetoric was more performative than deeply held.

In contrast, Rubin and others in her category remain uncompromising, clinging to narratives that vilify Trump and his supporters. By refusing to engage in dialogue or consider differing perspectives, Rubin represents those who seem entrenched in the hyperbolic narratives they’ve perpetuated for years.

Rubin’s preference for Bluesky, a liberal-leaning platform, over Musk’s more ideologically diverse X (formerly Twitter), underscores this reluctance for open discourse. It reflects a tendency toward intellectual isolation rather than grappling with Trump’s enduring appeal among voters.

This internal conflict within the establishment media comes against a backdrop of eroding public trust. Gallup’s October report on “record-low trust” in media underscores the fragility of institutions like MSNBC, which face dwindling credibility and audience.

While Scarborough and Brzezinski appear to recognize the need for a new strategy, Rubin’s refusal to adapt may further marginalize her and others who echo her approach. Her insistence on ideological purity risks alienating even her core audience, exacerbating the decline of a media landscape already struggling to maintain relevance.

The divide between these two factions—those willing to evolve and those doubling down on past strategies—may ultimately determine the future of mainstream media in a rapidly changing political and cultural environment.