MSNBC

A veteran campaign operative has been questioned multiple times by special counsel Jack Smith's team in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said the former president's situation has gone from bad to worse.

Senior campaign official Susie Wiles was allegedly shown a classified map by Trump at his Bedminster golf club after he left office, according to a source familiar with the matter, and former White House director of communications Jennifer Palmieri told "Morning Joe" that was a significant development.

A newly revealed audio recording shows Donald Trump appearing to discuss classified military plans and waving around documents at his Bedminster golf course, and panelists on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" wondered who might have leaked them.

The ex-president refers to the documents as "highly confidential" and seems to show them to others, which contradicts some of his public defenses and appears to bolster the case filed by special counsel Jack Smith, and former White House communication director Jennifer Palmieri speculated about the sourcing.

Donald Trump's lawyers might want to discuss a plea agreement with the former president after he handed prosecutors "powerful evidence" in an interview on Fox News, but it's far from guaranteed that he would accept the terms.

The former president defended his possession of classified materials and refusal to return them to government custody, and former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that his comments to broadcaster Bret Baier could help prosecutors prove one of the most difficult element in the crimes for which Trump has been indicted.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough expressed astonishment at Donald Trump's "incoherent" interview on Fox News.

The former president sat down with broadcaster Bret Baier, who challenged him to explain why he had not returned classified materials to the National Archives until the FBI seized them, and the "Morning Joe" host said Trump didn't do himself any favors by insisting he had been too "busy" to sort through the tranche to separate out his golf attire and other personal items.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough pointed out the similarities between Donald Trump's support within the Republican Party and the "lost cause" myth that persists in the former Confederacy.

The twice-impeached, twice-indicted former president remains the GOP's presidential frontrunner despite his losing record, criminal investigations and a recent lawsuit finding him liable for sexual assault, and the "Morning Joe" host discussed the reasons for that lingering support with New York Times columnist David French.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough frequently reminds viewers of Donald Trump's losing record, but he said some Republicans must prefer feeling like a victim than being a winner.

The ex-president's chief GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, took aim at Trump's losing record during a speech in Nevada, and the "Morning Joe" host said it's long past time for other Republicans to move on from him if they want to start winning elections.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough sees signs that conservatives are finally starting to break with Donald Trump.

The "Morning Joe" host played a montage of prominent Republicans, including former vice president Mike Pence, former attorney general William Barr and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, criticizing the ex-president's handling of classified documents and his campaign policies, and he was struck by how forceful those attacks have become.

Panelists on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" mocked Donald Trump for forcing prosecutors to charge him in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.

The former president was given the chance to return the classified materials he took from the White House and avoid criminal charges, but instead he held onto those documents and tried to hide them from authorities -- and he was finally indicted last week after a months-long investigation.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough pointed out that Donald Trump's inner circle had turned on him and was mocking his bizarre and possibly criminal behavior in conversations with investigators and reporters.

The former president's aides and former White House officials revealed that they referred to the boxes of classified materials and press clippings that he carted around as his "beautiful mind" material, and the "Morning Joe" host said Trump should find these details worrisome.

The Department of Justice probably won't ask to move federal judge Aileen Cannon off the Mar-a-Lago documents case until she issues a questionable ruling, and legal expert Andrew Weissmann said special counsel Jack Smith has multiple options to respond.

The Florida district court judge was assigned to oversee the trial despite a series of controversial rulings in an earlier phase of the investigation, and Weissmann told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he doubts the Department of Justice will ask for another judge right away.

MSNBC's John Heilemann said "no sane politician" wants to go on record defending Donald Trump now that a federal indictment spelled out the serious allegations against him.

The former president's Republican allies have been rallying around him since the FBI executed a search warrant last August at Mar-a-Lago and found hundreds of classified documents he had taken from the White House, but the "Morning Joe" political analyst said their defense has been more muted since special counsel Jack Smith revealed evidence to support 37 criminal charges.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough mocked Donald Trump for ignoring the advice of his lawyers and risking prison by listening to a right-wing "yahoo."

The former president reportedly was advised by his attorneys to negotiate a settlement last fall to avoid an indictment by the Department of Justice in the classified documents case, but instead took the advice of Judicial Watch head Tom Fitton, who is not an attorney but has a bachelor's degree in English from George Washington University, and decided to fight the allegations and insist he could keep those papers.