‘It was just rhetoric’: Presidential historian calls BS on Trump’s calls for unity

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss said President Donald Trump's call for unity rang hollow after shutting down the government as a political stunt.

Beschloss told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that presidents have previously made bipartisan overtures after losing congressional majorities in midterm elections, as Trump and Republicans did in November, but he doubted it would work this time.

"One thing we were looking for is, how has Donald Trump changed since the Democrats took the House," Beschloss said. "One historical example you will remember very well, 1996, Bill Clinton went to the well of the House in his State of the Union (address) and said, the era of big government is over."

Host Joe Scarborough was elected to Congress in 1994 as part of a Republican wave, which Beschloss said caused Clinton to pivot.

"That worked because during the year, as you well know, of 1994, when you won and the Republicans took back the House and Senate after 40 years, Clinton began to move to the center. This prepared him to win re-election in 1996, also paved the way for those negotiations you know so well, Joe, with Newt Gingrich over things like welfare reform and balancing the budget, things you had a big part in."

Beschloss expressed strong doubts that Trump could make the same change of direction.

"In Donald Trump's case, we've seen almost none of that," he said. "At the beginning, when he weighs talking about bipartisanship and reconciliation, that was after this huge, more than a month (long) government shutdown that may resume again in one week. It was really just rhetoric."