Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman and current co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” voiced serious concerns about former President Donald Trump on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in October 2024. Scarborough and billionaire Mark Cuban discussed Trump’s recent remarks about potential actions against his political rivals.
On the Friday night episode, Scarborough encouraged Republican voters to heed Trump’s own statements. “I don’t want people to listen to me, I don’t want them to listen to you, I don’t want them to listen to anybody,” Scarborough said. “I want them to listen to what Donald Trump says.”
Scarborough proceeded to outline specific assertions made by Trump. He highlighted a recent claim where Trump allegedly said he would use military and National Guard forces to detain political adversaries. Trump reportedly reaffirmed this stance when questioned about it.
Scarborough also mentioned other controversial statements reportedly made by the former president, such as a desire to execute the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for perceived disloyalty and a comment to a general expressing a wish for his generals to emulate those under Hitler.
As Scarborough’s arguments escalated, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a familiar face on “Shark Tank,” offered a pop culture comparison. He likened the situation to the latest season of “The Sopranos,” which drew chuckles from the audience.
Bill Maher, the host of the show, questioned whether Trump could have genuinely imprisoned Hillary Clinton, as he had previously implied. Responding, Scarborough addressed a common defense of Trump’s utterances, highlighting that some initially deny Trump said such things, but later downplay the seriousness of his remarks once confronted with evidence. Scarborough maintained that Trump’s statements should be interpreted literally.
In reaction to accusations of “Trump derangement syndrome” often leveled at Trump’s critics, Maher countered, “I would just like to say to my Republican friends that it’s not deranged to fear this, it’s not deranged to find this alarming.”
Scarborough underscored that these were not conjectural claims about Trump’s intentions. “We’re not saying this,” he stated. “We’re not guessing what he’s going to do. He’s saying this is what I’m going to do.” Scarborough then enumerated more alleged threats, including possible military tribunals for former Representative Liz Cheney and arrests of MSNBC producers.
Mark Cuban interjected, criticizing Elon Musk for not commenting on Trump’s purported threats to close down media outlets. Cuban pointed out the irony, noting Musk’s strong advocacy for free speech, yet his silence when Trump discussed shutting down networks like CBS. Cuban expressed frustration over someone who advocates for open dialogue staying silent when press freedom is threatened.
The dialogue on “Real Time with Bill Maher” spotlighted the ongoing worries over political rhetoric and its potential impact on American democracy. As the 2024 election draws near, these issues are expected to remain central to political discussions.
