MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough launched into a fiery monologue on Monday, accusing Donald Trump of laying the groundwork for civil war. Scarborough’s comments followed Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president alleged that Democrats had tried to slander, indict, and even kill him.
The rally also featured Trump’s allies, including JD Vance and Eric Trump, who echoed the claims. Scarborough called the rhetoric "un-American," warning that the language went beyond the violent tensions leading up to January 6, 2021.
Joe Scarborough keeps talking about civil war and how Donald Trump is instigating violence.
Meanwhile two different people have tried to kill Trump and I haven’t heard Trump talk about Civil war pic.twitter.com/5AGJilU42k
— 🥖🎪 (@503i7) October 7, 2024
Trump’s rally on Saturday, which took place at a location where an attempted assassination occurred in July, featured a barrage of incendiary statements. “Those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, and tried to throw me off the ballot,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump further suggested that the same forces may have tried to kill him, a claim echoed by both Eric Trump and Lara Trump during their own speeches.
No matter what state you live in, VOTE TRUMP. Let's get President Trump back in the White House and me to Washington so we can Make America Healthy Again, end the forever wars, and protect our civil liberties. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/h6T9oDGVR6
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) October 7, 2024
Scarborough, clearly alarmed by the repeated assertions, accused the former president of knowingly lying and stirring division. “Donald Trump knows that’s a lie,” Scarborough said, referring to Trump’s insinuations that Democrats were responsible for the alleged assassination attempt.
He also lambasted Republican figures like JD Vance for amplifying such dangerous rhetoric. “This is beyond anything we’ve seen before. This family is preparing for civil war,” Scarborough warned.
Scarborough also condemned the volume of Trump’s speech”, calling it “remarkable” and questioning whether the audience believed the barrage of “crazy lies.” He blasted Republicans for refusing to acknowledge Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election and for misleading the public on a range of issues, including the federal response to Hurricane Helene.
The commentary has stirred controversy, with critics of Scarborough accusing him of overreacting and fueling further division by amplifying Trump’s rhetoric in his own right. Nonetheless, the escalating language from Trump’s camp has raised concerns, particularly in light of the Capitol riot. Scarborough’s dire warnings reflect a growing unease among some over the increasing polarization in American politics and the potential for violence spurred by such heated rhetoric.
