On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” co-host Joe Scarborough couldn’t hide his shock when his wife and co-host, Mika Brzezinski, revealed the current price of butter. As they discussed the economic situation, Brzezinski pointed out that the price of butter has skyrocketed over recent years, as reported by The New York Post [1].
“A few weeks ago… somebody who was going to be voting for Kamala Harris came up to me and said, ‘Oh my God, Trump’s going to win… I go to the grocery store, and butter is over $3,’” said Scarborough, a former Florida congressman. With a chuckle, he noted to himself, “Well, that’s kinda reductive, isn’t it?”
Brzezinski quickly interjected, correcting him: “It’s $7… I’m just saying, it’s seven.” Scarborough’s jaw practically dropped as he responded, “Butter is $7… What, is it framed in gold?”
Her sober reply: “It depends where you go,” underscored the reality Americans face today.
In a segment that followed, NBC displayed exit poll data revealing that 46% of Americans feel worse off economically than four years ago, highlighting the nation’s economic strain.
Scarborough acknowledged, “If you look at the cost of groceries, gas, and other essentials, compared to four years ago, it’s a simple answer for working-class Americans.”
His wife’s emphatic “Yeah!” drove home the point.
WATCH — In a segment on Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough expressed disbelief over the cost of everyday groceries, a moment some critics are pointing to as emblematic of the disconnect between mainstream media and average Americans.
Scarborough recounted a recent conversation where… pic.twitter.com/1wm5yHukog [2]
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) November 7, 2024 [3]
Ironically, Scarborough recently praised the economy, citing an October Wall Street Journal headline describing the incoming president’s economic inheritance as “remarkable.” However, his optimistic tone starkly contrasts with the financial pinch families feel.
Back in March, he also brushed off concerns about Biden’s gaffes, calling him “intellectually, analytically… the best Biden ever.” Recalling their conversations on the economy, Scarborough remarked, “He’s far beyond cogent.”
In 2022, while inflation hit a 40-year peak, Scarborough advocated for increased government spending.
“I’m pretty sure that working class Americans are sick and tired of oil companies and tech companies and Amazon.com and Occidental Petroleum and Nike and all of these massive corporations over the past four years paying zero in taxes,” he said in August 2022, applauding the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a 15% corporate minimum tax.
Scarborough touted it as an “anti-inflationary package that actually lowers the deficit.” Yet, projections from the nonpartisan Penn Wharton Budget Model suggested the law would increase the debt by $750 billion over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated in June 2024 that the act would shave $252 billion off the deficit. Still, they calculated that Biden’s spending plans, minus COVID-related relief, would hike the national debt by $2.2 trillion over ten years.
The Biden administration’s massive spending, such as student debt cancellation, has faced scrutiny for potentially exacerbating inflation.
“Pouring half a trillion dollars of gasoline on the inflationary fire that’s already burning is reckless,” warned Jason Furman, former Obama administration economist, in August 2022.
