On Monday’s episode of Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough claimed that former President Donald Trump, along with what Scarborough described as his “desperate family,” are “preparing for civil war.” His comments were in response to a rally Trump held in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend, where figures like Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk took the stage in support of the former president. Trump’s family, including Eric and Lara Trump, also made appearances at the event.

Joe Scarborough on Trump: "This is an increasingly desperate person, an increasingly desperate family, who's preparing for civil war. They just are." pic.twitter.com/xxdxmg9HRU

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 7, 2024

Scarborough denounced what he described as an “un-American” display at the rally, taking particular issue with claims made by Trump’s camp. “The level of un-American activity that you just saw is stunning,” Scarborough said. “That is un-American. They know they’re lying.” He referenced the January 6 Capitol riot and pushed back against the notion that Democrats had any involvement in attempts on Trump’s life, despite the fact that both would-be assassins had reportedly been connected to Democratic causes.

Joe Scarborough on Trump: "This is an increasingly desperate person, an increasingly desperate family, who's preparing for civil war. They just are." pic.twitter.com/xxdxmg9HRU

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 7, 2024

Scarborough escalated his critique by suggesting that Trump and his family are fueling dangerous rhetoric. “This is an increasingly desperate person, an increasingly desperate family, who’s preparing for civil war, they just are,” Scarborough stated. He went on to lambast Trump for what he called a “fire hood of falsehoods,” accusing the former president of fabricating claims without offering specific examples of false statements during the rally.

Scarborough touched on reports that FEMA has struggled with recovery efforts in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, where hundreds remain unaccounted for. Despite the White House’s assertion that no FEMA funds were diverted to other causes, Scarborough pointed to previous claims that FEMA resources were redirected to support illegal immigrants in cities across the U.S.

“Donald Trump, JD Vance, Eric Trump, everyone else in the Republican Party, entire news channels out and out lying about what’s going on on the ground there, talking about civil war,” Scarborough said. He also criticized local officials for allegedly obstructing rescue efforts, all while insisting that federal coordination had been effective.

Lastly Scarborough addressed what he said were fabricated narratives from the Trump camp about assassination attempts linked to Democratic supporters. “They can’t run on the truth because they’re losing on the truth. And so the lies continue. The lies get more dangerous, increasingly desperate tactics. It’s… increasingly deranged talk, increasingly dangerous provocation, and perhaps a provocation that is preparation for his loss at the ballot box and a call for civil war.”