This is the Dec. 22 edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.
Years ago in the before times, when the White House had an East Wing and “Scarborough Country” was on MSNBC, I asked a cab driver how long he had been in America. The immigrant told me he had arrived in New York a decade earlier and had been in hot pursuit of the American Dream ever since.
“Right now, I drive a cab. But soon I will start a car service with one car, then two, then five. Then I will build a huge company and get rich just like Trump.”
Donald Trump would not enter politics for another decade, but even in 2005, his book “Trump: The Art of the Deal” and TV show “The Apprentice” had made his brand so aspirational that it inspired both African immigrants and working-class white Americans who felt abandoned in the postindustrial age.
Trump’s brand has survived three presidential campaigns, two impeachments, dozens of indictments (and 34 criminal convictions), two assassination attempts and countless scandals that would have destroyed any other politician.
“When will Trump’s base turn on him?” has been a constant media inquiry since the New York City developer won his first primary in New Hampshire almost 10 years ago.
While Trump’s base remains loyal, the aspirational figure the “Apprentice” host once was to them is no more.
The never-ending Jeffrey Epstein scandal has split congressional Republicans from Trump and turned off large segments of his base.
He spent so much energy shielding the files from his MAGA fans that Trump seemed far more interested in protecting Epstein’s elite friends than getting the truth out to his most ardent followers.
On Friday, the coverup continued.
So too did Trump’s shameless efforts to cash in on the presidency.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump Media was merging with a nuclear fusion company that would put the White House in a position to favor the president’s company over his competitors.
The crypto schemes that have made his family millions have taken a beating as Trump meme coins have lost most of their value — with TRUMP down as much as 88% from its peak — leaving his supporters holding the bag.
While Trump gets richer by the day, working Americans struggle to pay bills for rent, heating and health care.
While grocery prices stay stubbornly high, Trump focuses on gilded ballrooms, grand arches bearing his name and the invasion of oil-rich countries.
And while Trump mocks America’s affordability crisis, the middle class falls further behind.
Last Friday night, a Trump supporter selling concessions at a North Carolina event complained that the rally crowds had dwindled. He had asked Thomas Schafer, who was headed into Trump’s speech, to buy a $5 cap.
“I don’t have $5. We’re really broke.”
I wonder how that cab driver chasing the American Dream 20 years ago is doing today. I hope better than many working Americans who once believed Donald Trump would be the answer to all of their problems.
“There were a number of photographs that were pulled down after being released on Friday. That’s because a judge in New York ordered us to listen to any victims if they had any concerns about the material that we’re putting up.”
– Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, suggesting a picture of Donald Trump was removed from the Justice Department website because it exposed Epstein victims. The DOJ later reposted the image.
BARI WEISS SPIKES THE STORY: A TIMELINE
“60 Minutes” reported a stinging exposé of the El Salvador prison where the Trump administration sent hundreds of immigrants earlier this year. After editors rigorously reviewed the segment, it was set to air last night. But Sunday afternoon, CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss spiked the story.
Here is a timeline of events leading up to Weiss’ decision last night.
June 18
President Trump praised David Ellison, the CEO of Skydance Media and the man who owns CBS, as Skydance sought the administration’s approval on a merger with Paramount Global. “Ellison’s great,” Trump told reporters. “He’ll do a great job with it.” The deal was later completed.
Dec. 1
Ellison met with Trump officials to lobby the White House against Netflix’s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, as Paramount pushed its own rival bid. Ellison’s lawyers predicted the sale to Netflix would “never close.”
Dec. 7
Trump suggests he will have a leading role in deciding who ultimately wins the Warner Bros. bid, telling reporters, “I’ll be involved in that decision.”
Dec. 8
After “60 Minutes” aired an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the president lashed out at the network’s leaders, posting, “THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP… Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!”
Dec. 16
Trump attacks Paramount again over its “60 Minutes” coverage, writing on Truth Social, “If they are friends, I’d hate to see my enemies.”
Dec. 21
“60 Minutes” announced it was spiking a story on El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison just hours before it was slated to air.
“The broadcast lineup for tonight’s edition of 60 Minutes has been updated,” the program posted on social media. “Our report ‘Inside CECOT’ will air in a future broadcast.”
NPR reported that CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss refused to let the piece air without an on-the-record comment from the administration.
“60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi wrote a note to colleagues criticizing her boss’ decision, saying that her team had reached out to the administration for comment several times. It was “not an editorial decision” she wrote, “it is a political one.”
“Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct,” Alfonsi wrote in the email. If the standard for airing a story became the government agreeing to be interviewed, she wrote, the network would cede editorial control. “We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state,” Alfonsi wrote.
Weiss responded in a statement: “Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason — that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices — happens every day in every newsroom. I look forward to airing this important piece when it’s ready.”
A CONVERSATION WITH REP. RO KHANNA
The Justice Department has come under bipartisan attack since its heavily redacted and incomplete release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday night.
An overwhelming number of Republicans and Democrats voted for the complete release of the Epstein files last month, and now California Rep. Ro Khanna is calling for the impeachment of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Khanna explains to The Tea why getting all facts about Epstein out to the public is so important.
Mika Brzezinski: You and your Republican colleague, Thomas Massie, have led the bipartisan push to force the full release of the Epstein files, and you co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring all unclassified Epstein documents to be posted within 30 days. Now you’re suggesting AG Pam Bondi could be impeached or arrested for not following the law. Explain.
RK: The U.S. House can fine her personally every day if the DOJ refuses to release the documents.
And this matters because survivors came to the Capitol twice to relive their trauma and tell their stories of abuse at the hands of Epstein. This country has abandoned these girls, many of whom are from working-class families, for decades. They were preyed upon, over 1,200 of them. But the document release has been incomplete and sloppy.
MB: What do you do now?
RK: Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and I went on TV yesterday morning, saying we were going to hold Pam Bondi in contempt.
MB: How did Pam Bondi and the Justice Department respond?
RK: Suddenly, they started to scramble. They’re now starting to release unredacted documents.
They’re going to release even more documents, not because of Massie or me, but because Republican members of Congress are upset at what the attorney general has done. In fact, one Republican said, “You all don’t need to get involved. We want Donald Trump to fire Pam Bondi.”
MB: Why do Republicans want Pam Bondi fired?
RK: She has lost all credibility, and the survivors are not going away. What was the House vote on releasing all the files? 427 to 1.
427 to 1. You never have a vote like that. Congress has had enough of the coverup.
This interview has been condensed and edited for brevity and clarity.
EPSTEIN FILES: BY THE NUMBERS
Roughly 3,900 documents were posted in total, but only a fraction contained readable material — with most pages partially or fully redacted.
550 pages were released entirely blacked out, including multiple grand jury transcripts running to more than 100 pages each.
Photos: Department of Justice
Sixteen Epstein-related files vanished from the DOJ site within hours of posting, then quietly reappeared after review. DOJ official Todd Blanche had originally suggested the photo containing Donald Trump’s image with other women had been scrubbed from the site to protect Epstein victims, but the DOJ later said there was no evidence that any of Epstein’s victims are depicted.
ONE LAST SHOT
Jacqueline Kennedy with the children on Christmas morning, 1962. She sits on the floor, holding John on her lap, and Caroline stands nearby in her nightgown.
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Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., is co-host of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" alongside Mika Brzezinski — a show that Time magazine calls "revolutionary." In addition to his career in television, Joe is a two-time New York Times best-selling author. His most recent book is "The Right Path: From Ike to Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics — and Can Again."