MSNBC’s Morning Joe scorches NYT conservative for calling Trump a political ‘genius’

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough mocked a conservative guest for suggesting President Donald Trump was a political genius.

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens appeared on "Morning Joe" to expand on his essay arguing the president had brilliantly played the media by having his attorney general spin special counsel Robert Mueller's report as an exoneration, but Scarborough said Trump had stomped all over whatever political gains that had accomplished.

"Hold on, hold on," Scarborough said. "I just have to answer this. If you stick your hand on a hot stove and your hand gets burned in November, gets scorched. You burn your hand worse than anybody's ever burned their hand in the history of the United States, and you look at that stove -- let me finish -- and say, 'I think I'm going to try to put my other hand on there.'"

Scarborough said the president had followed up his temporary political win on Robert Mueller's report by seeking to again undo the Affordable Care Act and defunding the Special Olympics.

"Donald Trump lost on health care in the fall, Republicans lost on health care in the fall," he said. "Let me lay this out for for you: The largest vote total loss in the history of the republic in the midterm elections, and it is why Mitch McConnell said yesterday, 'Oh, really? You want to take up health care, Mr. President? I hope you and Nancy Pelosi have a wonderful time with that, because I'm not getting close to it.'"