The decision by the Republican congressional leadership to create and award Donald Trump the first-ever “America First Award” at a National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser left the panel on “Morning Joe” both amused and baffled on Thursday morning.
The MS NOW segment began with a clip of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) telling attendees, “We're going to honor him with a new award that we will present annually from this point forward. But he is the suitable and fitting recipient of the first-ever America First award. We can think of no better title for what that is. That's this beautiful golden statue here, appropriate for the new golden era in America.”
That led a wide-eyed co-host Mika Brzezinski to blurt “Stop!” as Joe Scarborough laughed and offered, “You know, it's because the FIFA Peace Prize award has gone so well.
"This is like giving me the brevity is the soul of wit award, it just doesn't fit.”
Co-host Wille Geist contributed, “Watching Speaker Johnson there is heartbreaking.”
“Asking about many times over the last decade, we've asked, how do these guys go home at night and you catch that glimpse of yourself in the mirror, maybe you look your children in the eye and you go: ‘I've given away everything that I said I stood for to give this guy a trophy, a prize,” he added.
“And they're kind of, you know, forgive me, they're infantilizing him a little bit, but here's a trophy. Here's an iPad to watch bombs exploding in Iran to color your view of how the war is going.
“They treat him like a child,” he added. “If I were him, I would be offended by it. But of course, I don't think he is.”