The set of “Morning Joe” opened the show in a feisty mood on Wednesday. In the program’s first hour, the cast on set took turns blasting the President’s trip to Puerto Rico, specifically focusing on Trump’s meeting with San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.
“He lacks any humanity and is the most graceless president to be in the Oval Office in our history,” said host Joe Scarborough, adding later that Trump was “utterly devoid of humanity and grace.”
Before his visit on Tuesday, Trump famously feuded with Yulín Cruz on Twitter when she criticized the federal response to hurricane victims in the U.S. territory in a press conference and on CNN. While visiting the island, Trump ultimately had a muted meeting with her, but pointedly declined to praise her performance in public comments that day.
Scarborough added that Yulín’s attempt to make amends with Trump was evidence of her own leadership skills.
“You just can’t afford to upset the president. Whether he’s wrong or not. You know that FEMA the SBA, you know that every other agency is going to move at his direction.” he said. “For people that are outraged that she apologized to him, your outrage should all be channeled to the President of the United States. She was actually being a leader.”
The president’s often awkward visit to Puerto Rico proved consistent fodder for mockery. In the show’s second hour, Conservative icon, George Will, suggested Trump was suffering from a form of “social autism” and that he wasn’t about to change now.