MSNBC downplays hosts’ personal relationship with Trump

In a statement on Wednesday, MSNBC rebutted a CNN report that said “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski “visited Trump’s hotel room on Tuesday night while the New Hampshire primary results were rolling in.”

The statement said Scarborough and Brzezinski “did what anchors are supposed to do — they interviewed the candidate’s senior staff to get background information on their strategy in New Hampshire, and on their campaign’s plans moving forward in South Carolina.” It said the “discussion” was less than five minutes and that other TV reporters did similar interviews.

The implication of CNN’s report is that the “Morning Joe” hosts are more than just news observers or analysts of the presidential election, but are actually personally close to a leading candidate.

The suggestion has been noted by many “Morning Joe” watchers, who believe Trump is given an easy ride in the dozens of interviews he has done with the program since launching his campaign in June.

Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, has previously said that he “personally” likes Trump and at a live event in December, he said on video that he has had private meetings with Trump to discuss the candidate’s debate performances.

Scarborough also said last October that Trump “would know what to do” if he were elected president. Still, Scarborough aggressively denied CNN’s report.

“You spread a different lie about us every day,” Scarborough wrote on Twitter, linking to the report.

MSNBC’s statement Wednesday attempted to portray Scarborough and Brzezinski as “anchors” who only met with Trump the previous evening to get his “reaction” on the New Hampshire primary results.

But that statement was undercut by a comment Trump said earlier in the day in an interview on “Morning Joe.”

“You guys have been supporters and I really appreciate it,” he said. “And not necessarily supporters, but at least believers.”