Scarborough tells Colbert: 'I'm not going to be a Republican anymore'

[DonViejo]

By CRISTIANO LIMA 07/12/2017 12:10 AM EDT

Joe Scarborough, the longtime Republican political figure and MSNBC host whose public feud with President Donald Trump grew to a fevered pitch two weeks ago amid a series of heated attacks, said he is leaving the Republican Party.

“I’ve got to become an independent," Scarborough, a one-time Republican congressman and prominent figure in the conservative media sphere, told CBS' Stephen Colbert during an interview airing Tuesday night.

Speaking alongside his co-host and fiance, Mika Brzezinski, who drew the ire of the president in a series of personal social media attacks, Scarborough questioned why more Republicans didn't stand up to Trump's comments and policies, casting them as standing in opposition to his party's values — or rather, his former party.

"I think it's inexplicable. This is well before Donald Trump was elected president that my party has betrayed their core values," Scarborough said, citing Trump's proposed travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries as a policy position that he felt did not align with the Republican Party's values.

Scarborough, who called Trump's rhetoric "disturbing," accused Republicans of turning a blind eye to Trump's actions. "You have to ask yourself, what exactly is the Republican Party willing to do? How far are they willing to go? How much of this country and our values are they willing to sell out?" a visibly frustrated Scarborough asked.

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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/12/scarborough-colbert-quits-republicans-240435

[cyclonefence]

1. *yawn*

Sorry Joe but this is a nothingburger to me. Changing your party affiliation is like flouncing out after you took a shit in the punchbowl and nobody laughed. Funny it took personal attacks from your president to wake you up. Asshole.

[Lotusflower70]

2. Whatever

He helped get this dumb fuck elected. He needs to do more than change his party affiliation.

[socialist_n_TN]

3. Yeah, it ain't like this is some "new" Republican Party.........

They've always been overtly and overwhelmingly on the side of the owners in society and in the last 40 years they moved further and further right. Now that they are bordering on fascism Scarborough is fed up? Not good enough. He'll be back to being a Republican just as soon as the party gets another hard-right neo-liberal/neo-conservative as its face.

[FakeNoose]

4. He should be an independent

I believe these political commentators need to be as objective as possible. He's changed careers and he's no longer an elected politician, so his party affiliation should not be an issue.

Having been at MSNBC now for a couple of years, I believe has really opened Scarborough's eyes as to the evil nature of the GOP. Apparently he waited until the nasty personal attack of Cheeto against Mika (2 weeks ago) but really he should have cut ties to the GOP long before this.

He's a media specialist now not a politician, and it's important that he remain "independent."

[Gothmog]

5. Colbert had a good show last night

[nini]

6. He helped normalize the crap Trump does/did

I hope his nights are full of nightmares of his role in the fall of this country.

[NCjack]

7. Don't want him in DEM party. He probably doesn't want in, but just saying. nt