Donald Trump is either an agent of Russia or a useful idiot, says 'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough
MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' host, Joe Scarborough, on Thursday, claimed that President Donald Trump is "either an agent of Russia or a useful idiot." The popular host made the remarks while discussing the first public hearing in the impeachment inquiry against Trump.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched an impeachment inquiry in September after a whistleblower lodged a formal complaint, alleging that President Trump had sought favor from the Ukrainian president during a June phone call, asking him to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. The whistleblower also mentioned a possible quid pro quo involved as Trump held back US military to Ukraine. The White House released a transcript of their call later which confirmed Trump asking for a favor from the foreign leader to probe Biden and his son Hunter.
Contributor Matthew Miller, during Scarborough's show, cited the assertion made by Pelosi in October that all roads in the impeachment investigation "seem to lead to [Russia President Vladimir] Putin with the president."
Miller also said he doubted that Trump's alleged withholding of aid to Ukraine was just to assist Russia. He suggested that the president's "ultimate goal was to hurt his political opponents." Biden is among the frontrunners of the 2020 Democratic race.
“But I also think that he didn’t care that withholding this aid helped Russia," Miller later said, adding "There is something about Russia that he is at best indifferent to standing up to Russia, and at worst he encourages their aggression around the world. And I think we see that in this scandal as we’ve seen it really throughout his term in office."
Co-host Mika Brzezinski then interjected, saying: "All roads lead back to Russia." At this moment, Scarborough launched an attack on Trump, saying things need to be said more directly.
"I think, Mika, we need to say it a little more directly — going back to December 2015, when he first pledged his fealty and loyalty to Vladimir Putin by attacking the United States as being just as bad as Russia,” he said. “Donald Trump is either an agent of Russia or he’s a useful idiot. Or he’s somewhere in between there — we don’t know what it is.”
As Brzezinski suggested that the president could be both. To which Scarborough replied with: "We will [know] one day,” Scarborough continued. “But at the very least he is a useful idiot, or perhaps it’s actually what John Bolton is now saying in public, and that is Donald Trump’s foreign policy is not run by what’s in the best interest of the United States of America. It’s not run to protect the American people.”
"It is run for what’s in the best interest of his bottom line, and it’s run to protect his bank accounts. It’s all about the money," the host added.