Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough wondered Thursday morning why there was such a fuss over reporter David Fahrenthold's story in The Washington Post about the "life-size portrait" of himself Donald Trump bought with charity money when there are clearly bigger fish to fry — like, say, the latest Clinton Foundation controversy. A 2011 memo by former Clinton White House aide and then-Clinton Foundation adviser Doug Band published Wednesday by WikiLeaks revealed Band worked in an "unorthodox nature" to obtain "in-kind services" for the Clintons, raise money for the Clinton Foundation, and secure speaking roles for former President Bill Clinton.
"You're shaking down the world for $66 million instead of a Rolex watch or a life-size portrait. I mean [Fahrenthold] is going to win a Pulitzer Prize for finding a life-size portrait of Donald Trump that [Trump] paid money for with a foundation," Scarborough said. "We're talking about $66 million here, maybe $100 million."
Co-host Mika Brzezinski agreed, saying the Clinton story is "just bigger. Larger amounts of money and the world is used as opposed to Palm Beach and a flag."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch Scarborough and Brzezinski take on the "sleazy" Clinton scandal, below. Becca Stanek
-
7 bars with comforting cocktails and great hospitalitythe week recommends Winter is a fine time for going out and drinking up
-
7 recipes that meet you wherever you are during winterthe week recommends Low-key January and decadent holiday eating are all accounted for
-
Nine best TV shows of the yearThe Week Recommends From Adolescence to Amandaland
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
