An audio recording has surfaced that gives damning evidence that the media is deliberately handing Donald Trump easy questions in his TV interviews.
What’s even more interesting is that this particular recording is from a show on the MSNBC network. MSNBC is considered by most to be a liberal-leaning network. One of their most popular newscasters is Rachel Maddow, an ultra-liberal. This particular clip involves Joe Scarborough, who hosts a right-leaning republican show on the network.
In the audio recording, the show is on a commercial break and Joe and his co-host, Mika Brzezinski, are conversing with Donald Trump. They fawn over him, praise him and actually ask him what kind of questions he wants to answer.
It is a very revealing clip that shows that these “journalists” are not interested in asking Trump challenging questions, but rather that they are willing to give Trump a platform to look good and appeal to voters. It is almost like they are giving Trump free air time, as if the show were a paid commercial. Trump gets airtime and the network gets ratings.
Here is a complete transcript of the exchange.
Donald Trump: “One more segment?”
Mika Brzezinski: “One more segment and then we’re good. Thank you for doing this.”
Donald Trump: “I’m doing it because.. you get great ratings and a raise. Me, I get nothing.”
Mika: “We’re getting a real window into your soul.”
Donald Trump: “Just make us all look good.”
Joe Scarborough: “Exactly.”
Donald Trump: “So how come Drudge and Time Magazine said I won the debate, Joe, and you think…”
Joe Scarborough: “But so did.. so did the CBS poll. The next morning, I saw the CBS poll (inaudibile) I knew the people that mattered didn’t think you lost. I mean, you came in a strong second and the most revealing thing is that Bush came in last.”
Donald Trump: “He’s weak.”
Jow Scarborough: “And at that point we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Donald Trump: “He’s a weak person.”
Joe Scarborough: “OK.”
Mika Brzezinski: (asking Trump) “Do you want me to do… the ones with the.. umm… deportation?”
Joe Scarborough: “We really have to gather some questions.”
Donald Trump: “That’s right. Nothing too hard. Make it..”
Mika Brzezinski: “OK.”
Joe Scarborough: “I think that this is, um, for most people in the Republican establishment, sort of the final sign.”
Donald Trump: “Looking good. We’ll see what happens.”
That is where the clip ends. Keep in mind that this interview was conducted right after Trump’s poll numbers had dropped. This was recorded right before a Donald Trump “town hall” special on, you guessed it, the MSNBC network. It probably also doesn’t come as a surprise that the hosts of this “town hall” special were none other than Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Let’s also not forget that Trump has a long0standing relationship with NBC thanks to his highly-rated reality series “The Apprentice.”
Following this leak, there has been a rash of criticism aimed at MSNBC and the television media. It seems quite obvious that the modern TV “news” shows care more about ratings than the concept of journalistic integrity.
New York Times reporter Nick Confessore in particular has been outraged. According to him, he recently appeared on MSNBC as a “talking head.” During his appearance on the network, he began to explain that Donald Trump doesn’t need to spend any money on television ads because he gets so many free TV appearances from the major networks. As Confessore was making this point, the show cut away from him to show footage of a Donald Trump Rally.