On Thursday’s Morning Joe, in continued reaction to far-left Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, the hosting crew of Willie Geist and Jonathan Lemire decided to defend El-Sayed from claims of communism and even socialism. They also showed great displeasure with President Trump’s call of communism as “The greatest threat to our country in its history” and invoked 9/11.
In the opening of the morning show, the discussion of El-Sayed devolved into a talk of how “conservative media” has used the far-left victory.
Geist said, “But as I mentioned, I mean, you can look at the front page of the New York Post, or you can look anywhere in conservative media right now. This is the candidate that they wanted in Michigan, but also nationally, so that they could make the claim that the Democrats, whether it's here in New York City and the state of Michigan, potentially with the governor of Wisconsin, are making a turn far-left.”
Thursday’s Morning Joe showed hated President Trump calling communism “the greatest threat” in the country’s history, including 9/11, after Abdul El-Sayed's primary victory.
Host Willie Geist first defended far-left candidates and said, “First of all, they're not communists.… pic.twitter.com/zc1QXY4iHt— Nick (@nspin310) August 6, 2026
Lemire responded to Geist as he read a part of the New York Post subtext that Lemire read said, in part, “Dems nominate socialist radicals.” He then stated, “I mean, obviously not actually a socialist. As Ali pointed out, doesn't actually consider himself part of the DSA.”
Not actually a socialist, except for his want of Medicare for All and his campaigning with socialists like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
At the start of the next hour, the show decided to get upset at a Presidential attack on communism on the day of El-Sayed’s victory.
In a clip from a Trump event in Las Vegas yesterday, the president mentioned the rise of far-left Democratic candidates and stated, “Communism is the greatest threat to our country in its history, including even World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, 9/11. I think it's the greatest threat.”
On Morning Joe, after Willie Geist said "conservative media" wanted Abdul El-Sayed to be the Democratic Michigan Senate nominee, Jonathan Lemire stated that El-Sayed was "obviously not actually a socialist" because he was not officially part of the DSA. pic.twitter.com/0ZxUWYqId0
— Nick (@nspin310) August 6, 2026
Geist did not like the comments and said it was “worth pausing here” before he made sure to note, “First of all, they're not communist or socialist. There's a distinction there.”
He then continued to show his hate of the 9/11 comment: “Just pause. The President of the United States said the election of a candidate to be the nominee in Michigan is worse than 9/11.”
Lemire continued Geist’s displeasure: “It's obscene. It's obscene, and it's inaccurate.”
Geist followed by again: “But it is worth pausing, as Jon points out accurately, at the 25th anniversary of 9/11, that he thinks the election by voters of a certain kind of candidate in the state of Michigan is the biggest catastrophe in the history of the country.”
Frequent Morning Joe guest Mike Barnicle then closed with a message to the president: “Mr. President, if you're listening this morning, I dare you to come to New York City on September 11th, which is coming up, and repeat what you just said here in Manhattan, and you'll realize that you were wrong.”
Of course, Morning Joe did not mention how radical terrorist-sympathizer Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who previously said “America deserved 9/11,” campaigned actively with El-Sayed in Michigan. Additionally, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation acknowledges that Communism killed over 100 million people in the 20th century alone.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
MS NOW’s Morning Joe
August 6, 2026
6:09:35 AM Eastern
(...)
WILLIE GIEST: But as I mentioned, I mean, you can look at the front page of the New York Post, or you can look anywhere in conservative media right now. This is the candidate that they wanted in Michigan, but also nationally, so that they could make the claim that the Democrats, whether it's here in New York City and the state of Michigan, potentially with the governor of Wisconsin, are making a turn far-left.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Yeah. “Right Turn on Read” is the headline here.
And this is the subhead, though, that I think Republicans are seizing on: ”GOP midterm prospects improve as Dems nominate socialist radicals.”
I mean, obviously not actually a socialist. As Ali pointed out, doesn't actually consider himself part of the DSA. But we're seeing this is the Republicans' closing argument here is that they think that the Democrats, you know, that there's energy on the left there. Communists and socialists, they use those words interchangeably, even though, of course, they're not actually the same thing. It's the Red Scare.
And they feel that, you know, and whether those labels actually work or not, at the very least, there is a sense from both parties. Michigan, because of this result yesterday, Michigan is now perhaps more of a toss up than it would have been previously. I think that is possibly true.
And we had, the nominee on our air yesterday. We interviewed him. We asked him a lot of questions, including those around Israel. And he's going to have to keep facing those questions. And I think his answers are unsettling to some voters. That said, we also shouldn't downplay some of the energy that's on the left right now. He is a political talent.
Yes, there are some things surely he will need to adjust here in the next couple of months, but I think it would be a mistake to suddenly say, ‘oh, this seat's going into the Republican column here,’ Ali, when I think polls suggest a tight race, to be sure. But and -- I think that, you know, there is an onus on him as well as some of the others in Michigan to bring that party together in that state after a particularly bruising fight.
(...)
7:03:01 AM Eastern
TRUMP: These people are dangerous, and frankly, they are lunatics. They're crazy, and we can't let them get into office. Communism is the greatest threat to our country in its history, including even World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, 9?11. I think it's the greatest threat.
But everyone, every time this has happened and you do that, you go through squalor and you had the word again: filth, crime, death, destruction, embarrassment. You lose your home, you lose your apartment. And that's where the communists will take us 100%. When I watch Abdul, he's full of s***.
[Cuts back to live]
GEIST: The President of the United States - worth pausing here, Jonathan Lemire - just said that the election of Abdul El-Sayed, perhaps thinking about Mayor Mamdani here in New York City and other candidates in the Democratic Party right now.
First of all, they're not communist or socialist. There's a distinction there. But put that to the side, saying their election is the worst thing to happen to this country ever, including World War II, Pearl Harbor, part of that, and 9/11.
Just pause. The President of the United States said the election of a candidate to be the nominee in Michigan is worse than 9/11.
LEMIRE: It's obscene. It's obscene, and it's inaccurate. And of course, we're about to have the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, which will be a tough day for a lot of people, especially here in New York City.
I mean, and think about the hundreds - I mean, how many people died in World War two? Millions of people around the world died, you know, 10 million or more. And now this, because it's a political opponent, it's a cheap line.
And Willie, you noticed it actually, because he said this before. He said it a few weeks ago. I just found the quote as we knew we were coming in with it. It didn't get a lot of attention. It sure seemed like he was reading off the prompter.
GEIST: Yeah.
LEMIRE: So this seems like something that they think is an effective argument. And it is deeply offensive. And, you know, yet another just outrage when it comes from the president of the United States.
GEIST: Rhetoric is so cheap now, I guess, Mike, that he can just say whatever he wants and people move on, “Oh, that's him being him.” But it is worth pausing, as Jon points out accurately, at the 25th anniversary of 9/11, that he thinks the election by voters of a certain kind of candidate in the state of Michigan is the biggest catastrophe in the history of the country.
MIKE BARNICLE: Mr. President, if you're listening this morning, I dare you to come to New York City on September 11th, which is coming up, and repeat what you just said here in Manhattan, and you'll realize that you were wrong.
(...)
