Wow! Joe Scarborough’s Television Ratings are really bad. They have gone, as they say, “down the tubes,” as has the rest of MSNBC. It’s a beautiful thing to watch! President DJT
AI Analysis
Automated analysis by industry-leading AI for constitutional concerns, discriminatory language, conflicts of interest, and misinformation
Overall Assessment
Overall Severity: High
This post raises significant concerns across multiple dimensions. Most critically, it contains demonstrable misinformation about television ratings that contradicts current data. The President is making false claims about Morning Joe's performance, either through ignorance of current data or intentional misrepresentation.
Beyond the factual inaccuracy, the post exemplifies concerning executive branch behavior toward the press. A sitting president celebrating the perceived decline of a news organization—particularly one known for critical coverage—represents a troubling approach to press freedom and democratic norms. While not a direct constitutional violation, this pattern of behavior contributes to a hostile environment for independent journalism.
The medium severity conflict of interest concern relates to the use of official presidential communications to potentially influence media markets and commercial outcomes for news organizations based on their editorial stances.
Key concerns include: (1) spreading verifiable misinformation about measurable data; (2) demonstrating presidential hostility toward critical press; (3) potential abuse of office to influence media markets; and (4) contributing to erosion of democratic norms regarding executive-press relations.
Constitutional Concerns
Severity: Low
The post involves a public official commenting on media ratings and celebrating the perceived decline of a news organization. While this raises concerns about executive attitudes toward press freedom and the role of media in democracy, it does not constitute a direct constitutional violation. However, the pattern of a sitting president celebrating negative outcomes for media outlets that criticize him creates a chilling effect on free press and demonstrates hostility toward the First Amendment's press protections.
Conflicts of Interest
Severity: Medium
The post demonstrates a potential conflict of interest concern. As a public official commenting on media ratings, there is an implicit use of the presidential platform to influence media markets and potentially affect the commercial viability of news organizations. The celebratory tone regarding declining ratings of a critical news outlet suggests the President may be using his position to punish or undermine media entities that provide unfavorable coverage, which raises ethical concerns about abuse of office.
Misinformation
Severity: High
The post contains significant misinformation. The President claims that ratings for "Morning Joe" and MSNBC have "gone down the tubes," but the related news context contradicts this assertion. According to Nielsen data cited in multiple sources:
- Morning Joe averaged 749,000 total viewers in April 2025, representing a +7% increase from previous periods
- The show is up +28% in total viewers compared to the immediate post-election period
- MSNBC's total day numbers are up +43% compared to the last quarter of 2024
While there was a decline immediately after the 2024 election (a 40% drop in some periods), the most recent data shows recovery and growth, directly contradicting the claim that ratings are "really bad" or declining.
Rhetorical Analysis
The post employs several persuasive techniques:
Emotional Language: Words like "Wow!" and "beautiful thing to watch!" convey schadenfreude and personal satisfaction at a perceived opponent's struggles.
Colloquial Expressions: The phrase "down the tubes" is informal and dismissive, designed to emphasize complete failure.
Amplification: Extending the criticism from the specific show to "the rest of MSNBC" broadens the attack and implies systemic failure.
Self-Reference: Signing as "President DJT" reinforces authority and official status, lending presidential weight to what is essentially a personal media criticism.
Framing: The post frames media decline as a positive development ("beautiful thing"), revealing an adversarial relationship with press outlets that provide critical coverage.
Selective Facts: By focusing on a temporary ratings decline while ignoring recovery, the post creates a misleading narrative that serves the speaker's interests.
Intimidation Subtext: The celebratory tone regarding a news outlet's struggles sends an implicit message to other media organizations about the consequences of critical coverage.
News Context Analysis
The news sources reveal a nuanced picture of Morning Joe's ratings trajectory:
Recent Performance (April 2025): The show is experiencing a ratings rebound, averaging 749,000 total viewers with a +7% increase, contradicting the post's claims.
Post-Election Period: There was indeed a significant ratings decline (approximately 40%) following the November 2024 election, particularly after hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski disclosed a controversial in-person meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Recovery Pattern: From the low point between November 2024 and January 2025, the show has recovered significantly (+28% in total viewers), suggesting the audience has returned.
Competitive Context: While Morning Joe did lose to CNN in the 25-54 demographic for the first time since 2022, overall MSNBC ratings have been strong, with total day numbers up +43% compared to Q4 2024.
Historical Context: At 576,000 viewers in some measurements, the show is down 39% from July 2024, indicating volatility but not a consistent downward trend.
The President's post appears to reference outdated information from the immediate post-election slump while ignoring the recent recovery.