Morning Joe and Fox & Friends both applaud moderate Democrats after 2nd debate


MSNBC's Morning Joe and Fox News' Fox & Friends were in agreement on Wednesday morning, with hosts on both shows happy with the presence of moderate Democrats on last night's debate stage.
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who is now an independent, was downright shaken the morning after the first debate in June, declaring it a "disaster for the Democratic Party" while blasting candidates' "free-for-all immigration policies" and more. But he was a lot happier with this one, expressing gratitude on Wednesday that Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were "flanked on the wings by some moderates" who had a more "practical" and not an "overly utopian approach."
"Any Donald Trump supporter that saw this debate stage might not have as many easy targets moving forward as they did after the last round of Democratic debates," Scarborough said.
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.
In particular, Scarborough spent much of this segment criticizing Democrats who he views as going too far to the left with their health-care proposals, blasting the idea that ObamaCare was "somehow too conservative" and arguing that former President Obama "pushed America as far he could possibly push them." Later in the show, Scarborough again wondered how some of the more liberal Democrats' policies will play with Trump voters. "Let's get real for one second, politically," he said.
Meanwhile, Fox & Friends had a similar take, with Brian Kilmeade saying that "the biggest benefit to the Democrats last night were the moderates that pushed back on some of these wild policies before Donald Trump gets a hold of them," per Media Matters for America's Bobby Lewis. Ainsley Earhardt also praised former Maryland Rep. John Delaney for his attitude of, "Look, you've got to talk about what you can really pass," with Earhardt also saying Warren is like a candidate for student body president who promises, "'to put snack machines in every classroom.' It's not going to happen!"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants