Joe Scarborough defended Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying the president was correct for asking why his predecessor, Barack Obama, did not do more to address the Russian threat to the 2016 election.
“That’s a very legitimate question to ask,” Scarborough said on “Morning Joe.” “I get far less problems with the president of the United States asking that question than saying, ‘Barack Obama was crawling around in Trump Towers and tapping my phones.’”
Scarborough said it probably wasn’t the best use of the president’s megaphone to spend time on the issue, but declined to back down from his position.
“That’s something that you get your press secretary to go out and say,” said Scarborough. “It is a legitimate question.”
Scarborough’s defense of the president was a shift for the morning host, who has lately been more likely to compare Trump to Stalin and suggesting that he could be suffering from dementia.
On President’s Day, Trump capped off a frenetic weekend of tweeting by raising a new line of attack against the Russia investigation, asking why, if the threat was so great, did President Obama not do more to halt Russian activities.
“Obama was President up to, and beyond, the 2016 Election. So why didn’t he do something about Russian meddling?” asked Trump in a tweet Monday.
Obama was President up to, and beyond, the 2016 Election. So why didn’t he do something about Russian meddling?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2018
Trump’s attack was picked up on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday earning another round of tweets from Trump on the issue.