Entries from mikebarnicle
Who knew what, when?

Watch this Morning Joe conversation between veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) about why law enforcement were ill-prepared for a well-planned pro-Trump mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol last week, during which time they breached police barricades in an attempt to force Congress to overturn President Donald Trump’s election loss. Hear Crow’s appeal for answers.

Last words: Let’s restore sanity

Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and Mike Barnicle reflect on the Democratic wins in Georgia’s Senate runoff election that will determine control of the Senate and Stacey Abrams’ extraordinary role in the wins. “Last night in Georgia I really believe that it’s the beginning of a long, slow climb back toward sanity for this country,” says Barnicle. Watch the discussion here.

The character in college football

The Morning Joe conversation shifts to college football, the character of the players and celebration of Alabama senior DeVonta Smith having been awarded the Heisman Trophy during a virtual ceremony, becoming the first wide receiver in nearly three decades to win the most prestigious award in college football. “This young man DeVonta Smith who won it, his athletic skill is just so off the charts. If you look at some of the receptions he’s made, it’s incredible. And he’s going to be an unbelievable NFL player,” says Mike Barnicle about Smith, who is set to enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

Trump’s toll on DC

In this Morning Joe conversation, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser talks with Mike Barnicle about how public safety in the nation’s capital has been impacted during the Trump Administration and how she’ll continue to work with Congress for repayment of $100 million in federal funds owed to the District for public safety as well as the $755 million owed from the CARES Act.

Barnicle talks with Sen.-elect Warnock

Watch this Morning Joe conversation between veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and Sen.-elect Raphael Warnock (D-GA), who defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia Senate runoff, about the need to extend more and better opportunities to marginalized groups in America so that they too can pursue the path to the American dream as Warnock did. Hear more of his personal story and why he sought to become a United States Senator.

Infrastructure and health care on the agenda

Morning Joe’s Mike Barnicle talks with Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) about whether progressive and moderate Democrats will be able to work together on large infrastructure issues in a Democratic-controlled Congress under Joe Biden’s presidency. Says Sherrill: “We have to reimagine government in this country.” Watch the segment here.

The Georgia runoff election

Tune in for this Morning Joe conversation between veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and The Cook Political Report House Editor David Wasserman about the voter turnout in the Senate runoff elections in Georgia where Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler, while Democrat Jon Ossoff is leading Republican David Perdue in the remaining critical runoff election that will determine control of the Senate. Listen to Wasserman’s response here about what may have inspired voters.

Improving the vaccine roll out

Tune in to this Morning Joe discussion between veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization – BIO, about whether the United States should restructure its process of COVID-19 vaccine distribution through the country to meet the overwhelming demand and improve the complicated roll out.

COVID vaccine complications

Tune in to this Morning Joe discussion between veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, about whether the United States should restructure its process of COVID-19 vaccine distribution throughout the country to meet the overwhelming demand and improve the complicated roll out.

Where is the American Bar Association?

“What is the American Bar Association thinking about all of these lawyers participating in these fraudulent lawsuits that take up so much court time, and including over the weekend, a lawyer sitting there as her client right in front of her lies. Have any of you given any thought to the Bar Association’s non-reaction to any of this?” asks veteran columnist Mike Barnicle of Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) during this Morning Joe discussion about about whether President Donald Trump’s lawyers should face repercussions from the ABA for aiding Trump’s “ridiculous” legal challenge the 2020 election results.

Trump’s trampling on democracy

“I’m sitting here for the past few days thinking about the incalculable damage that one man—Donald Trump—has done to this country and to our political system. And I’m wondering if you, like me, have thought back to Adam Schiff’s summation during the impeachment proceedings—when he talked about why Donald Trump had to be impeached, and he raised the question of the Republicans wondering, you know, ‘how much damage could he do?’ And Schiff ended his summation by saying ‘a lot.’ And in my mind harkening back to those words then to today, and what is playing out right in front of the world, I don’t think ‘a lot’ really handles the scope of the damage that Donald Trump has done,” says veteran columnist Mike Barnicle to Washington Post associate editor Eugene Robinson during this Morning Joe conversation about the significant harm President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have inflicted upon the country as they have actively refused to accept the results of the 2020 election. Watch the discussion here.

Messages of support — and a few beers

Don’t miss this Morning Joe segment with Mika Brzezinski, Mike Barnicle and John “Chick” Donohue about Donohue’s new book “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A True Story of Friendship Stronger Than War,” which tells remarkable stories from his 1967 journey from a New York City bar to Vietnam via a cargo ship to track down—in alphabetical order—his neighborhood pals serving in the war to deliver messages of support from back home and share a few beers.

The need for nostalgia

Watch this Morning Joe segment with Willie Geist, Mike Barnicle and Wright Thompson, author of the new book “Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last,” as they discuss how complicated conversations may not be spoken but are often understood over a drink. Part biography, autobiography, philosophy and history of the South, Thompson leans into nostalgia and comes up with an unexpected result.

Stimulus payments in limbo

“Listening to Senator McConnell over the past few days and reading about what he did…it really is tragic, it’s sad. It’s pathetic because here you have a man—Mitch McConnell of Kentucky—going out of his way to ensure his own personal political survival as Senate majority leader and leader of the Senate Republicans, his own survival, over the survival of millions of Americans and their families who are at the edge of their own financial survival: Some being evicted, some having already lost homes, some having lost jobs and some having no hope at the conclusion of this drastically, terrible year,” says veteran columnist Mike Barnicle during this Morning Joe conversation with Kasie Hunt and Walter Isaacson Sen. McConnell (R-KY) having blocked an attempt by Democrats to hold an immediate vote on increasing stimulus checks for those suffering through the coronavirus pandemic to $2,000 from $600, leaving the fate of the measure unclear.

Salman Rushdie on his new MasterClass

ICYMI: Tune in for this conversation between Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie and Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle about Rushdie’s new MasterClass in which he teaches the art of storytelling and writing. “How do you plan to use MasterClass to develop and have people articulate and live with their imaginations? In some cases they’re filled with incredible stories, but you’ve got to draw them out. How do you do that?” asks Barnicle. Hear Rushdie’s response here.

Jim Gray talks about new book

Watch this Morning Joe conversation between Mike Barnicle and sportscaster Jim Gray about his golfing experiences with Donald Trump who wanted “the moniker of the best” and his opinion on whether baseball great Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Gray’s new memoir, “Talking To GOATs: The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard” details his relationships with iconic sports figures Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and others.

Report for America

Morning Joe veteran columnist Mike Barnicle and long-time foreign correspondent Charlie Sennott discuss Sennott’s new organization Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. “You have 300 people—300 young people—out in the field in several different states doing God’s work, working at local newspapers. How did they find you? What do you pay them? And how do you get the money to pay them?” asks Barnicle. Hear Sennott’s response here and get more information on the organization at reportforamerica.org

The Plague Year

Watch this Morning Joe conversation among Jonathan Lemire, Mike Barnicle and The New Yorker’s Lawrence Wright about Wright’s “epic” article “The Plague Year,” which outlines the muzzling of the CDC and others by the Trump Administration, as well as the heroes, mistakes and struggles behind America’s coronavirus tragedy. Hear from Wright here and read his article: https://bit.ly/34LTp4z

Not a proud moment for Sen. Marco Rubio

Morning Joe’s Kasie Hunt and Mike Barnicle discuss the Twitter rant of Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (FL-R), who falsely accused Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, of lying about coronavirus in general and masks in particular, despite the Florida senator having received the vaccine ahead of health care workers, while wearing a mask. “Marco Rubio is not alone—there’s a long list of cowards who wilted in the face of Twitter, being afraid of a tweet from the President of the United States. It’s not a very proud moment for the United States Senate—certainly not a very proud moment for Marco Rubio as an individual,” says Barnicle. Watch the conversation here.

The “cruelty” of the Trump Administration

“Since January 20th of 2017 when Donald Trump was inaugurated…there’s been a level of cruelty to him and to his Administration that has been consistent and continual throughout his administration: It’s always pick on the poor, pick on immigrants. And now in this final chapter of his presidency, it’s people who are literally—not just on the edge, they are—over the edge: People who have been living on practically nothing for five, six months, who have lost their jobs, many have lost their homes, a lot of them have lost hope, their children are home from school all day long….There’s multiple levels of corruption, confusion, chaos in this Administration but cruelty is the ultimate theme,” said Morning Joe contributor Mike Barnicle during this conversation with Kasie Hunt about the lengthy delay Trump caused before signing legislation for $900 billion in coronavirus economic aid and $1.4 trillion in government spending, providing some support for millions of Americans impacted by COVID-19 and averting a government shutdown.