Donald Trump’s recent CNN town hall wasn’t just controversial — it may also be politically, financially and legally “costly” for the former president, according to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
While paraphrasing Politico’s Jack Shafer, co-host Joe Scarborough said that people complaining about the recent live event need to “stop whining and get over it.”
“This guy has put himself in more legal jeopardy than ever before,” Scarborough said.
And in Scarborough’s eyes, this “legal jeopardy” didn’t just refer to the recently closed lawsuit brought on by E. Jean Carroll or the ongoing investigation into mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. It also refers to a potential new lawsuit altogether. Last month, Trump’s lawyers told Congress that the box of classified documents ended up in his Florida property by accident. But during Wednesday’s town hall, Trump defended his actions, saying that he had “every right” to take them from the White House.
“‘I can do whatever I want to do with classified documents.’ What does that sound like? ‘I can do whatever I want to do because I’m a star with women,’” Scarborough said. “He says he can sexually abuse women because he’s been a star.”
The town hall also invited the opportunity for Carroll to potentially sue the former president again. Earlier this week, Carroll was awarded $5 million after a court found Trump liable by a civil jury for sexual battery and defamation against Carroll. Yet during CNN’s town hall, Trump potentially defamed the journalist again, mocking her and calling her a “wack job.”
“He can’t help himself,” Scarborough said, calling Trump’s latest remarks a “pretty straightforward” defamation case. “It’s probably going to cost him another $3, $4, $5 million.”
“I hope that was worth it for him because it’s going to cost him a lot,” Scarborough added. “He really showed his arrogance of why this is going to hurt him legally and also hurt him politically.”
Carroll’s attorney has already told The New York Times that she may sue Trump a third time for the “vile” comments that were made on CNN.
Watch the full “Morning Joe” segment in the video above.