A long-time Joe Scarborough shtick is to facetiously ask historian Jon Meacham about the causes of the French and Indian War.
But someday in the future, when the causes of the Second American Revolution are discussed, at the top of the list might well be President Trump's decision to build a new White House ballroom.
If you believe Meacham, that is.
On today's Morning Joe, panel regular and former Biden speechwriter Meacham began by warning the panel, and liberals at large, "Let's not bang on our high chairs here," i.e., let's not overreact to Trump's ballroom moves.
But, ignoring his own advice, Meacham proceeded not merely to bang on his high chair, but to do the rhetorical equivalent of filling his Pampers.
"You're not a king. You can't just do what you want to do when you want to do it. That's an adolescent response. That's really not fair to adolescents, right? That's infantile. Just to do it because you can is in some ways a definition of why we had the American Revolution."
So Meacham's having his own "No Kings" rally speech on MSNBC.
In saying that Trump has decided to "do it because [he] can," Meacham acknowledged that the president is acting within his lawful powers. The American Revolution occurred because the colonists had no say or representation in the English King's decisions. Here, Americans had representation, and they used it to elect Donald Trump president -- twice.
Note: Meacham concluded by saying that he misses John McCain more than ever, imagining what he'd say about Trump's ballroom moves. Meacham urged senators "to be more McCain-esque." McCain was one of Trump's bitterest critics. Not surprising that Meacham would like more senators to be like him!
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
10/23/25
6:42 am EDTJON MEACHAM: You know, as ever with President Trump, you know, you do have to step back and say, well, what is he trying to do? What is the, you know, let's not bang on our high chairs here.
And to me, one of the issues here, is so much of the -- I haven't seen the National Review piece ["No, Trump Isn’t Destroying the White House"]-- but so much of the controversy here might be settled if, for instance, He actually paid attention to norms, to the customs of having, you know, Congress was very much involved in the 1940s version of this. Bring in the National Trust, bring in the White House Historical Association, a wonderful group founded in the Kennedy administration, terrific people who care deeply about the House.
You know, do this with some sensitivity to the fact that you're not a king. You can't just do what you want to do when you want to do it. That's an adolescent response. That's really not fair to adolescents, right? That's infantile.
Just to do it because you can is in some ways a definition of why we had the American Revolution. And I can hear conservatives saying, oh, construction project leads to fears about democracy. You know, just take a deep breath on that. It is a particular, the way the president's done this, that reflects and illuminates a universal.
And to go back to what you were just saying a minute ago about the Senate, more and more, I don't know if anybody here agrees, I miss John McCain today more than I do when he died.
I just, can you see him on the floor, walking down the hall, talking as he inevitably did to reporters. What he would say about what's happening at the Pentagon, what he would say about the White House. And the immense credibility he had. To the senators there, I would say, try to be more McCain-esque.
WILLIE GEIST: And who is that voice right now? It's hard to find over there on the Hill right now.
