MSNBC does not air ‘Morning Joe’ after Trump assassination attempt

MSNBC did not air its flagship morning talk show “Morning Joe” on Monday following an assassination attempt against former President Trump over the weekend.

The long-running news and analysis program was not on the air Monday morning, as the network provided live continuous coverage of the aftermath of the shooting in Pennsylvania, which injured Trump and two others and killed one person at a campaign rally Saturday.

The assassination attempt on Trump came just days before he is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican candidate for president at the party’s convention this week.

“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” the network said in a statement Monday. “As we continue to cover this story into the week, the networks will continue to cross simulcast, alternating between NBC News, NBC News NOW and ‘MSNBC Reports’, so there is one news feed covering this developing situation.”

CNN reported Monday, citing a person familiar, that the decision to not air “Morning Joe” after the shooting was made to “avoid a scenario in which one of the show’s stable of two dozen-plus guests might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole.”

A spokesperson for MSNBC denied CNN’s reporting when contacted by The Hill.

“Morning Joe,” is hosted by frequent Trump critics Joe Scarborough and wife Mika Brzezinski, who react to live news events and host discussions with prominent progressive commentators and pundits.

The show is reportedly a favorite program of President Biden, who recently called into an early-morning broadcast to defend himself from criticisms over his shaky debate performance late last month.

The network said “Morning Joe” will air as scheduled Tuesday morning.