MSNBC’s popular morning show “Morning Joe” did not air Monday, the same day the 2024 Republican National Convention commences, sparking speculations over whether the decision has anything to do with the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
A network spokesperson told USA TODAY the show, hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, was taken off-air because the channel has stayed in rolling breaking news coverage since the shooting broke out Saturday evening.
The MSNBC spokesperson said NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC will begin the week carrying a simulcast, so that one news feed is covering Trump’s attempted assassination.
The spokesperson’s account appears to deny a CNN report, which cited an anonymous source, that the show was pulled for concerns about a guest making an inappropriate comment in wake of the assassination attempt.
‘Morning Joe’ to return to TV Tuesday
The show’s official X account, Sunday night said that “Morning Joe” will return to its regular schedule on Tuesday.
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“Tune in to MSNBC tomorrow morning for continued coverage of the attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the post added.
“Morning Joe” airs on weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and typically features guests from the news and political realm discussing the latest issues.
On Saturday, Trump was injured after being shot in the right ear in an assassination attempt when a 20-year-old gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire on a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were wounded. The gunman was killed by Secret Service agents moments after shots rang out.
President Joe Biden condemned the attack and called on Americans to cool the partisan fervor and stay away from any form of political violence, encouraging peaceful debate in his Sunday evening address to the nation.
“There’s no place in America for this kind of violence or any violence, ever, period, no exceptions,” Biden said. “We can’t allow this violence to be normalized.”
Contributing: Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
