This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 24 episode of “Morning Joe.”
As the election quickly approaches, there’s been a lot of chatter about a so-called October surprise.
Some are speculating it could be a new interview from The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt with Donald Trump’s ex-chief of staff, John Kelly, who said the former president met the definition of a fascist. Or maybe it’s Vice President Kamala Harris echoing that same sentiment during a CNN town hall on Wednesday, also labeling the former president a “fascist.”
Others might suggest another new report from The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg about Trump’s alleged praise for Adolf Hitler could cause a late shake-up in this year’s election.
But those aren’t really October surprises.
The real October surprise is that Trump has said he is going to arrest his political opponents. It’s that Trump has promised to use the Army and the National Guard against his rivals. It’s that he called Democrats and members of the press “enemies from within.” It’s that he’s labeled these people as more dangerous to America than any foreign threat.
The October surprise isn’t what everybody else is saying about Trump; it’s what Trump says every time he opens his mouth. It’s the former president’s own rhetoric that’s causing his campaign damage, day in and day out.
That’s Trump’s biggest problem right now: He is his own October surprise.
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."
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.