It was inevitable that with the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in France, MSNBC’s Morning Joe would politicize possibly the last major anniversary with living veterans by attacking Republicans. Sure enough, co-host Mika Brzezinski did precisely that on Thursday, as she demanded, “with respect,” that party leaders “open their hearts to the concept of democracy.”
Brzezinski declared that “You know, Mike Barnicle, it's hard not to think about how demented our politics are today when we look at these heroes and we ponder this moment of unimaginable magnitude, but this conversation reminded me of something I think is worth saying about some of our Republican leaders right now, and I say it with respect, but our democracy is a privilege. It is fragile, and it is a privilege and Republican leaders following Donald Trump's autocratic tendencies are validating and reinforcing his violent anti-democratic ways on such a grand scale.”
It got worse from there. Without much respect, she added, “They almost remind me, of sort, of the entitled children of America's democracy. Entitled because they don't care what it took to build it. Unappreciative of the sacrifice that it took to get here and emboldened for their own advancement of power.”
Concluding, Brzezinski claimed that “I hope they watch today and open their hearts to the concept of democracy rather than their own anti-democratic road to power.”
As for Barnicle, he was not confident, “Well, that would be wonderful if it would occur, Mika, but I doubt it will, given the tenor and the tone of American politics today.”
Those who claim Republicans do not care about the sacrifice those who died in Normandy made because they do not appreciate democracy simply because they support the Republican candidate for president should not be lecturing other people about the “tone of American politics.”
Here is a transcript for the June 6 show:
MSNBC Morning Joe
6/6/2024
6:41 PM ET
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: You know, Mike Barnicle, it's hard not to think about how demented our politics are today when we look at these heroes and we ponder this moment of unimaginable magnitude, but this conversation reminded me of something I think is worth saying about some of our Republican leaders right now, and I say it with respect, but our democracy is a privilege. It is fragile, and it is a privilege and Republican leaders following Donald Trump's autocratic tendencies are validating and reinforcing his violent anti-democratic ways on such a grand scale.
That, they almost remind me, of sort, of the entitled children of America's democracy. Entitled because they don't care what it took to build it. Unappreciative of the sacrifice that it took to get here and emboldened for their own advancement of power.
So, I hope they watch today and open their hearts to the concept of democracy rather than their own anti-democratic road to power.
MIKE BARNICLE: Well, that would be wonderful if it would occur, Mika, but I doubt it will, given the tenor and the tone of American politics today.
