The set of “Morning Joe” was alive with fire and fury Monday morning as outrage boiled over on set over the firing of Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein following revelations that he settled at least eight sexual harassment charges in a career spanning decades.
“[Hollywood] is transfixed. They are all saying behind the scenes, this guy is a sleazebag. He deserves it. He had it coming and yet nobody will say a word,” said show co-host Joe Scarborough. “The silence is deafening. The president who he’s personal friends with, said nothing. ”
The show dedicated several segments across its three hours to discussion of the mogul’s woes. Weinstein was fired from his company on Sunday.
Mika Brzezinski took up the baton, singling out her party for what she said was an insufficient response.
“Where is Hillary Clinton? Where are the Democrats who took money from him? They’re just returning it and giving it to the DNC?” she asked. “Can you imagine the women we haven’t heard about?”
On Saturday, Brzezinski threatened to cancel a three-book deal project in partnership with Weinstein Books if the mogul didn’t resign.
I have a three-book deal with Weinstein Books, through Hachette. I can’t go forward with those books unless Harvey resigns.
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) October 7, 2017
“Everything you’ve heard is the tip of the iceberg,” said Scarborough. “Guy told me, at the center of Hollywood, it is so much worse on so many levels.”
Even “Morning Joe” in-house economist and chart impresario Steve Rattner had something to say. After clarifying that Weinstein had never sexually harassed him, Rattner said the Hollywood producer’s behavior had been deplorable — despite their long friendship.
“I’m in a slightly awkward position here, because while I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying about Harvey, Harvey’s been a friend of mine for 20 years and an incredibly loyal friend. And has never done anything untoward toward me — I don’t mean sexually — but in general,” said Rattner. “So, I condemn what he’s done, it is appalling, in fact Harvey has said it’s appalling.”
The on-set outrage comes after a day of bizarrely muted coverage of the scandal on Friday, in which Weinstein was shunted into the show’s closing minutes.
“Morning Joe’s” a.m. rivals, “New Day” and “Fox & Friends,” also had little to say on the matter at the time.