On Thursday’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough breathlessly announced—twice!— as big “breaking news” from the Trump town hall that Jeffrey Katzenberg is going to donate to Joe Biden. This is “NOT” man-bites-dog news. It’s a man-hugs-man yawn.
Not only is Katzenberg [the former CEO of Disney Studios,] a lifelong Democrat and a long-time Dem donor, he’s . . . a co-chair of Biden’s campaign! The only breaking news regarding Katzenberg would be if he were not donating to Biden!
For that matter, it appears that Scarborough misrepresented Katzenberg’s pledge. Scarborough claimed that Katzenberg said that “he will provide whatever money is needed from his fortune” to beat Trump, and “I’m going to give whatever money I have to give to stop Donald Trump.”
But according to the Financial Times article that Scarborough cited as the source of his “breaking news,” Katzenberg only [emphasis added] “vowed to deliver all the resources Joe Biden needs for his 2024 re-election campaign,” and that “the co-chair of Biden’s campaign, who plays an important role in the fundraising effort, said he was ‘confident’ of pulling in more than the $1bn of contributions received during the 2020 race.”
In other words, contrary to Scarborough’s claim, Katzenberg wasn’t pledging “whatever money is needed from his fortune.” He was simply expressing confidence that, in his role as a fundraiser, he’d be able to round up big bucks from the fortunes of other donors!
Notice these MSNBC stalwarts aren’t offended by billionaires spending or raising massive sums to turn elections. Not when it’s for the correct candidates.
PS: Although Scarborough played fast and loose with the truth in describing Katzenberg’s pledge, Joe was true again today to his mandate of describing Trump as a “fascist” at every opportunity.
Joe Scarborough misleadingly claiming as breaking news that Biden co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg has pledged to donate to Biden’s campaign was sponsored in part by Servpro, Liberty Mutual, GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Shingrix, and Ensure.
Here’s the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
5/11/23
6:15 am EDTJOE SCARBOROUGH: Last night, the Trump campaign loved what they saw, because they’re stupid. They really are. They’re just colossally stupid if they think that was good for them in a general election. And the Biden White House, thrilled that he once again showed his colors.
There’s breaking news that just broke across Financial Times, Jeffrey Katzenberg, this morning,
news breaking, said, he will do whatever it takes. He will provide whatever money is needed from his fortune to make sure Donald Trump is not elected President of the United States.Do you know how many people are waking up this morning saying that?Do you know how many people are waking up this morning saying, you know what, I need to get involved in 2024 and stop this fascist, stop this liar, stop this guy who elevates Vladimir Putin and trashes America, and calls it the greatest threat to Western civilization?
No, there is, there is this morning, a lightning bolt going through the American electorate. And it’s reminding everybody the stakes of a second Donald Trump presidency. So last night, bad for democracy, bad for media, but even worse, Jackie, for Donald Trump.
. . .
It’s just, it’s straightforward. So, here we have again, a night that was bad for democracy, a night that was bad for the media, a night that was bad for CNN, a night that was bad for, well, Donald Trump’s campaign.
Again, the winner last night, from just that absolute monstrosity of a town hall meeting, with an audience shipped in from — I mean, I thought we were supposed to have swing voters there — an audience shipped in from Republican clubs from across the state of New Hampshire.
The only winner was Joe Biden. That’s why Jeffrey Katzenberg, again, according to breaking news, has said, “I’m going to give whatever money I have to give to stop Donald Trump.”
And again, like I said, this is, this is, last night was, in a sense, a political earthquake. I said it was a lightning bolt. It’s a political earthquake. And people are waking up this morning understanding once again the consequences of Donald Trump in the White House.