President Donald Trump went after two familiar media foes Monday morning, taking aim at HBO’s Bill Maher and MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough in a pair of early-morning posts on Truth Social.
The president first set his sights on Maher, questioning whether the comedian’s show can survive.
“Bill Maher’s ratings are so low that it is hard to believe his show can continue,” Trump wrote. “In many ways it’s SAD because, in actuality, I like him. Republicans should stop using him as a sounding board, however. It makes them look sooo weak and foolish!”
The post marked a notable shot at a figure who has picked up influence among Republicans recently. Maher’s criticisms of the far-left have often gained traction on Fox News and elsewhere, making him something of a go-to voice for many on the right.
Trump’s message, however, was clear: Republicans should stop leaning on the HBO host.
Moments later, the president turned his fire on Scarborough, the host of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
“Joe Scarborough’s show has been cut way back, and will soon be ‘dead!'” Trump wrote. “Too predictable and boring! REALLY BAD RATINGS, just like the rest of MSNOW (MSDNC!).”
The back-to-back posts put two of the president’s longtime media frenemies squarely in his crosshairs to start the week.
Both men have had a complicated relationship with Trump over the years, and Monday’s posts showed the president is not shy about calling them out publicly.
While Trump blasted the ratings of Scarborough’s program, the latest monthly numbers tell a different story. “Morning Joe” averaged 733,000 total viewers in August, a 27% jump compared to the same month last year.
The show also ranks as the highest-rated morning program in the Washington, D.C., market, a key audience for political programming.
Trump’s criticism of Maher came with an unusual twist. Even as he knocked the comedian’s ratings, the president admitted he actually likes him, calling the situation “SAD.”
His bigger complaint appeared to be aimed at members of his own party. Trump argued that Republicans who turn to Maher as a sounding board end up looking “weak and foolish.”
The remark comes as Maher’s commentary targeting the far-left has increasingly resonated with conservative audiences, earning him airtime and attention in Republican circles.
For Scarborough, the president offered no such kind words. Trump predicted the show would soon be “dead,” called it “predictable and boring,” and lumped it in with the rest of the network, which he mocked as “MSDNC.”
Scarborough did not stay quiet for long.
The MS NOW host quickly fired back at the president following the Monday morning posts, setting up yet another chapter in the long-running back-and-forth between the two.
The early-morning broadside is the latest example of Trump using his Truth Social platform to directly confront media personalities he views as adversaries, or in Maher’s case, something in between.
With Scarborough already responding, the feud shows no signs of cooling off anytime soon.
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