We've covered what Stephen Miller said on the Sunday shows yesterday pretty thoroughly, but if you want a quick overview the beginning of this video has all the clips in one spot.
And then the Morning Joe panel gets to work. Mika points out that this authoritarian fascist "you will not question us" talk from the reincarnation of Joseph Goebbels has the full support of the Trump White House. White House employees called news outlets in the afternoon to spin "what a great job Miller did."
Even Joe Scarborough is horrified. But his reason seems to be more the 2018 elections than the future of our democracy.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: That sounds like a spokesman for Vladimir Putin. It sounds like a spokesman out of Turkey. So, Steven Miller, let's take you to class for a second here because I know you didn't go to law school. I don't know what type of school you went to, but they certainly didn't teach you civics and certainly didn't teach you the United States Constitution, certainly didn't teach you separation of powers, certainly didn't season you the federalist papers....
It's all well and good for Joe Scarborough to speak down to Steven Miller, who Joe has referred to as "a kid" before. What about Donald Trump? Any advice for him, Joe?
MIKA: Well, the president, himself, tweeted, Joe, that he did a great job, so maybe you ought to -- address that as well.
JOE: I can only hope that the President of the United States.
[CROSSTALK] Was too busy playing golf.
Too busy working with --MIKA: Please, God, make it the case.
JOE: Visiting with the Japanese Prime Minister. David Ignatius, a moment we need to stop. You had spokesman for the White House yesterday go out on all of the shows and say the power of the President will not be questioned. And then making matter far more concerning. The President of the United States tweeted his congratulations for that performance and staff members called all of us working and telling us what a great job Steven Miller did yesterday, when he basically sounded like a little autocrat on TV.
DAVID IGNATIUS: Fortunately, federal judges do not take orders from Steven Miller. And the judges who are reviewing this case, the district court judge who began it in Washington and this Ninth Circuit panel, are trying to construct quite narrow rulings. What they said to the White House was you have enormous powers as commander in chief over issues of national security, over issues of who gets across our borders. But you have to present evidence of a threat that justifies what you're trying to do. That was essentially the core of the appellate court ruling. And when Steven Miller says this is ideological, this is about those who wants borders and those who don't, that is the outrageous part. All that courts are saying, under our system, you have to show why you want this.
JOE: The most outrageous part of it, John Heilemann, is the fact this will ultimately be resolved in their favor. They are going to have a majority on the Supreme Court with Judge Gorsuch and fill 125, 150 federal judgeships. They could have quietly done an executive order this morning without him saying that yesterday and gotten everything that they wanted to get.
Joe Scarborough is clearly talking to an audience of one. Donald Trump should heed his advice, lay low, maybe fire Steven Miller (and hire Joe Scarborough?) and Donald! Baby! You'll get everything you want! Supreme Court and federal judiciary will do everything just the way you like once all those judges are rubber stamped by the GOP Senate! Re-write as many anti-Muslim executive orders with John Yoo types at the helm and you're in!
Joe Scarborough wants his tax cuts sooo bad, he's willing to publicly hope Donald is out to lunch or at the golf course when embarrassing stuff happens, and then tell Donald to be just a little more patient becuase "you'll get everything you want after you fill those court seats McConnell stole for you."
And Scaroborough is terrified that Trump is going to throw away the opportunity to cut Joe's taxes by being so erratic. Get on message Donald! Joe's 1040-A depends upon it!
