Joe Scarborough blasted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Friday for supporting President Donald Trump’s death threats against a handful of Democratic lawmakers who had reminded active duty service members that they are obligated to refuse illegal orders.
“Lindsey knows better, that's what's so pathetic about it,” Joe Scarborough said on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” Friday morning. “It's sad!”
On Tuesday, a video featuring several Democratic lawmakers was published on social media, in which they urged active duty service members to “refuse illegal orders.” On Thursday, Trump fired off at the Democratic lawmakers over the video, first suggesting they be imprisoned, and later that they be sentenced to death.
Graham, who served in the military for more than three decades, backed Trump in his calls for the Democrats who participated in the video to be investigated, and potentially be sentenced to death. Scarborough, who said he considered Graham to have “been a friend” for “a long time,” didn’t mince words in his condemnation of the South Carolina senator.
“Come on, Lindsey! You of all people know that troops cannot commit illegal actions!” Scarborough said. “You should be saluting your colleagues for telling them 'don't commit illegal actions!'”
Scarborough also ripped into Trump, arguing that his threats to have Democratic lawmakers sentenced to death were a mere ploy to distract from the several scandals currently hammering his administration.
“Donald Trump, he's trying to distract from the Epstein files! He's trying to distract from the fact that he has the lowest approval rating that he's had in the second term, he's trying to distract from the fact that Democrats have the largest generic ballot lead that I can remember in my lifetime, 54 to 41,” Scarborough said.
“He's trying to distract from the fact that only one in three Americans say that they think Donald Trump is handling the government the right way, you could go on and on! So what do you do? You say these senators should be executed!”