Now, in the wake of Trump’s election, “Morning Joe” is becoming a go-to spot for Trump watchers. In his Le Show podcast, he released audio of off-camera dialogue between Donald Trump and ostensible news figures Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of the MSNBC program Morning Joe. But that doesn’t mean Scarborough and Brzezinski haven’t praised Trump and his political talent, including his ability to run circles around the media and turn in surprisingly good debate performances. The "heat around the show seems to have dissipated,” The But then came a boost: Trump, who had known Scarborough and Brzezinski for more than a decade, gave them an instant connection to the biggest political phenomenon of the year. With the exception of Fox News’ Sean Hannity, no one in cable news did more to encourage the Trump candidacy during the 2016 Republican primary than “Morning Joe.” The coverage was not … The cohosts are now in regular communication with Trump and his circle — so much so that they are fielding criticism for being a house organ for the incoming administration. By election week, the media bias became so pronounced that merely suggesting Trump could win got us labeled by out-of-touch analysts as lap dogs. Not everyone finds that advice-giving relationship appropriate, even for a morning-show host who bills himself as an analyst rather than a reporter and is a former Republican member of Congress. And last week, Brzezinski traveled to Trump Tower and visited Ivanka Trump for coffee. Scarborough also says he did not vote for Trump in the primary or general election. By August, however, the fruitful relationship, which led to many on-air interviews of Trump, was faltering. “I’m not sure how that reporting is sexist because those were sources at the top of the campaign,” Scarborough crowed on air. An NBC source close to the show says the Trump campaign appreciated that “Morning Joe” never wrote off their candidate, as other media did. We were right. In February, CNN “With Trump, only those most willing to essentially, if unofficially, join the team themselves will get continued, dependable access,” Sullivan wrote To be sure, the “Morning Joe” cohosts and Halperin are not nearly as big boosters of Trump as Hannity, who at But Scarborough claims his behind-the-scenes conversations with major players at high levels of government are “nothing new,” pointing to similar relationships in Democratic administrations. Things turned south when trump froze them out but coverage always stilted. “With these picks, Trump will never get through a Republican Congress meaningful economic policy,” Scarborough said. Scarborough, in an interview, declared that he and Brzezinski talk several times a week with Trump himself. “Even somebody like a morning show host plays a role, at least a quasi-journalistic role — I’d argue it’s journalistic — in setting the parameters of the national conversation around these candidates,” Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik said on CNN in February. “We spoke regularly to Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod in the Obama White House, and we have always maintained good relations with congressional leaders and Cabinet secretaries. He produced a daylong show that rocked the political world.” (Brzezinski declined to comment via an NBC spokesperson.) Gen. Honoré torches Trump for attacks on the Post OfficeSteve Schmidt: Trump trying to ‘sow confusion and chaos’ ahead of electionAfter politicizing pandemic, Trump says Biden 'playing politics' on COVID-19Katyal: Trump betrays his Oath floating Harris birtherism In November, “Morning Joe” led CNN in its time slot in total viewers (806,000 people to CNN’s 715,000), while CNN’s “New Day” beat it among the age 25-54 demographic that advertisers crave (251,000 viewers to 207,000).