MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough nearly unleashed an expletive on live television early Friday morning, Nov. 21, 2025, as he excoriated House Speaker Mike Johnson for defending President Donald Trump’s inflammatory social media posts about Democratic lawmakers.
The heated moment came after Scarborough watched clips of Johnson and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressing Trump’s Truth Social posts, which suggested six Democratic members of Congress could face execution for what the president called “seditious behavior.” The lawmakers—all military or intelligence community veterans—had released a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders.
Scarborough began his commentary, stating, “These people are lying through their f—” before catching himself mid-word and correcting to “These people are lying through their teeth.” His co-host and wife, Mika Brzezinski, immediately interjected with nervous laughter, insisting “He didn’t say it! It was only half.”
The controversy stems from a video reportedly released Tuesday featuring Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, along with Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan. The six Democrats, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, recorded the message reminding current service members of their constitutional obligation to refuse illegal orders from commanders.
Trump responded with multiple Truth Social posts, including one declaring the lawmakers’ actions constituted “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Trump also reportedly reposted a call to hang the Democrats.
When questioned by reporters about Trump’s threatening language, Johnson offered a charitable interpretation of the president’s words. The House speaker claimed Trump was simply “defining the crime of sedition,” characterizing it as a factual statement. Johnson then pivoted to condemning the Democratic lawmakers, calling their video “wildly inappropriate” and accusing them of encouraging troops to generally disobey orders rather than specifically illegal ones.
This characterization particularly infuriated Scarborough, who accused Johnson and other Trump defenders of engaging in what he termed Orwellian doublespeak. The MSNBC host argued that Johnson deliberately misrepresented the Democrats’ message, which explicitly focused on illegal orders rather than lawful commands.
“Mike Johnson knows that this is all about what military men and women need to do to uphold their sacred oath and that is not to commit illegal actions,” Scarborough said during the broadcast. He continued attacking what he perceived as deliberate misrepresentation by Republican officials and conservative media outlets.
Leavitt, speaking at a White House press conference, denied that Trump wanted to see members of Congress executed. However, she maintained that the Democratic lawmakers’ video could potentially inspire chaos or violence and suggested their actions might be punishable by law.
The Democratic video was reportedly inspired by Trump’s deployment of U.S. military troops to Washington, D.C. and Portland. Judges have ruled that the military occupation violated the law.
“Morning Joe” co-host Jonathan Lemire drew parallels to previous Trump controversies, noting a similar pattern of inflammatory statements designed to distract from negative news cycles.
Scarborough agreed with this assessment, suggesting Trump intentionally created the controversy to divert attention from his poll numbers and other unfavorable stories. He expressed frustration that the distraction tactic proved effective, noting that media coverage had shifted away from other issues.
Co-host Willie Geist observed that Trump understood his supporters would reflexively defend any statement he made, whether on television, podcasts or in congressional chambers. This reliability of support, Geist suggested, enabled the president to make increasingly provocative statements without political consequence within his base.
Before catching himself on the expletive, Scarborough had mocked Johnson’s response with an exaggerated accent, joking about the speaker needing a fainting couch to complement his pearl-clutching reaction to the Democrats’ video. After the near-slip, Brzezinski jokingly insisted he had only said half the word.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan later reportedly criticized Johnson’s response as “mealymouthed,” expressing disappointment in the speaker’s leadership and his characterization of the Democratic veterans’ message. The congresswoman emphasized that the video explicitly addressed illegal orders, not lawful commands from military superiors.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over the appropriate use of military force domestically and the limits of presidential authority. Military service members take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, which includes provisions requiring them to refuse orders that violate federal law.
