Morning Joe squarely blames Trump and his aides for the government shutdown

Morning Joe blames Trump for the government shutdown — (Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/MSNBC)

Monday's Morning Joe on MSNBC started off with video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) talking about the impossibility of negotiating with President Trump on immigration and the government shutdown, then Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) blaming the partial shutdown on 32-year-old Trump aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner.

In case it wasn't clear which party Morning Joe's anchors blame for the shutdown, Mika Brzezinski quoted The Washington Post: "Yet another period of Trump-fueled tumult [...] pinging from one upheaval to the next — while clearly not understanding the policy nuances of the negotiation." Joe Scarborough, who counseled Democrats to stay resolute in the face of Republican intransigence, exclaimed, "A 32-year-old aide has shut down the government!"

While the Morning Joe crew has the blame game figured out, The Washington Post also noted Monday that it's still "unclear whether the public would blame the Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, or Democrats taking a stand on immigration while shuttering government agencies."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.