'Right-wing stoogery': Morning Joe perfectly explains how all Trump policies are ultimately 'scams'

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said President Donald Trump doesn't actually care about most of the policies he promotes -- he only cares about aggravating his enemies.

The "Morning Joe" host said the ban on transgender troops -- which the president announced on Twitter, surprising military officials, and was then slow-walked by Defense Secretary James Mattis -- was a perfect example of Trump's careless approach to policy.

"Donald Trump's saying, 'I really don't want to do this, I've got to throw red meat to the crazies in my base, why don't you give me some cover here,'" Scarborough said.

Scarborough agreed with guest Noah Rothman, associate editor of Commentary, that Trump communicates almost exclusively to his base -- which they described as the "fringe of the Republican party."

"(He's) feeding them, feeding them very, very well," Scarborough said. "They're quite plump right now on right-wing stoogery."

Trump's policies on LGBT people, immigration, racism and tax reform were ultimately "scams," according to Scarborough.

"The only policies that I have any evidence, and we have any evidence, in knowing that he actually gives a damn about," he said, "it's all, 'China is ripping us off,' in the '80s it was, 'Japan is ripping us off,' 'the Saudis are ripping us off' -- he really does believe that."

"He really does believe, in his heart of hearts, that American leaders have been stupid for years, and you'll see (Steve) Bannon say, 'Hey, I invented this,'" Scarborough added. "No, he was saying that on the 'Today' show to Jane Pauley in 1987."