'Fire Steve Bannon': Morning Joe tells Trump there's only one way to salvage his presidency

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough called on President Donald Trump to fire chief strategist Steve Bannon if he hopes to salvage his presidency.

Trump's approval rating has fallen to an abysmal 36 percent just two months into his term, but the "Morning Joe" host reminded viewers that former President Ronald Reagan had similar poll numbers in 1982 -- two years before winning re-election in a landslide.

But Scarborough said Trump had to reach beyond his base to gather support, and he blamed Bannon for giving the president bad political advice.

"His attacks on the press, on the courts, his attacks on just about everybody, yes, it plays to his, quote, base," Scarborough said. "His base is 35 percent, 36 percent. There are about 10 percent of Americans who voted for him because he is not Hillary Clinton. His base is 35 percent, 36 percent. That's what he's boiled down to because he has simply refused to listen to everybody that has told him you need to reach out and be more inclusive."

He said most everyone -- including the press, the president and Bannon -- had forgotten that Trump won, in large part, simply because his name wasn't Clinton or Bush.

Scarborough said Trump and Bannon, who is reportedly an avowed Leninist who wants to "destroy the state," had grossly overestimated their base of support, and the MSNBC host mocked the White House chief strategist.

"'Oh, they're going to want me to be Vladimir Lenin and tear down the government because 65 percent of americans are against us' -- what idiots," he said.

The former Republican lawmaker cautioned Trump that he would need help from Democrats to avoid a government shutdown, and he urged the president to surround himself with better advisers.

"If he wants to get his 36 (percent) to 56 (percent), he's going to have to fire Steve Bannon and anyone else who calls himself a Leninist who wants to destroy the American republic, and start working with Republicans and Democrats," Scarborough said. "Do what 78 percent of Americans told NBC News a couple weeks ago -- they want their leaders to compromise and work with the other side and make Washington work again."