Former First Lady Jill Biden began her book tour with a taped interview on CBS Sunday Morning with pal Rita Braver, but it truly started Monday on NBC’s Today as, in a live, 14-minute interview with co-host Craig Melvin, she was subjected to a brutal interrogation over her husband and former President Joe Biden’s infamous June 2024 debate, his disastrous reelection bid, and the cowardly decision to pardon son/crackhead Hunter Biden on his final day in office. Melvin started with two brief, easy questions about “[w]hy did you feel like you had to set the record straight now” and how the former President is doing as he battles stage four prostate cancer. But then it got tough real fast. After one short clip of Biden’s bumbling debate performance, he ripped her for hypocrisy in writing about fearing Joe was having a stroke, but still taking him to a post-debate rally and Waffle House trip. “In the days and weeks after [the 2024 debate], you continued to insist that the President was fine. How do you square thinking that he may have had a stroke with what you were saying in the days and weeks after? How do you square those,” he asked. NBC's @CraigMelvin: "In the days and weeks after [the 2024 debate], you continued to insist that the President was fine. How do you square thinking that he may have had a stroke with what you were saying in the days and weeks after? How do you square those?" Jill Biden: "Well,… pic.twitter.com/4RvIcBlfU2 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2026 Jill told him to “look at it from my point of view”: “He gets off the stage, I see he appears to be okay. He says to me, Jill, I really, in other words, messed up, didn’t I? And I said, yes, you did. And so...I know we’re going into another event, or we have two more to do. And I — my mind is racing. What do I say to him?...I’m his wife. I’ve got to lift him up.” When she said she chose “to say things that are true” by remarking he “answered every question,” Melvin incredulously interjected: “That’s a pretty low bar.” She doubled down, meaning she didn’t answer Melvin’s question about why she didn’t do something more drastic if she believed his life was in danger. Melvin next posed to her Special Counsel Robert Hur’s conclusion about Joe, the infamous George Clooney op-ed in The New York Times, and comments from his first White House chief of staff, Ron Klain. Jill stammered through this one as well by insisting “he aged” and “got older” just as “we were all aging.” Melvin was ready for this dodge, so he put on-screen her own words from the book as a way to wonder if she was truly “impartial” in deciding whether he could run for a second term (click “expand” to read her answer): NBC’s Craig Melvin: “In hindsight, were you able to be impartial [about his ability to run again]?” JILL BIDEN: Jill Biden: “Well, you know, the doctors did assure us. I mean, he had a exam every — every year — a health exam like every president does. The doctors assured us he… pic.twitter.com/1TWo8Gkg9p — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2026 He then wondered straight up whether, “[i]f you could go back in a time machine and do it all over again, would you have encouraged him maybe to not run again.” NBC’s Craig Melvin: “You were his closest confidante. You're described as Joe’s gut check. If you could go back in a time machine and do it all over again, would you have encouraged him, maybe to not run again?” Jill Biden: “You know, as I look back, would I want to put Joe… pic.twitter.com/vQxGeG9O7H — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2026 She tried to have it both ways by saying the blowback against Joe “was so hurtful” and caused so much “pain” while also saying quitting the race “had to be his decision alone.” Ignoring the role networks like his played in this entire cover-up, an exasperated Melvin called up a 2023 poll about Biden’s fitness for office. This led Jill to what was arguably her most open statement of frustration with how the interview was going (click “expand”): MELVIN: But Dr. Biden, to be fair, I mean, there’s a poll, there’s a poll from 10 months before that debate moment. I mean, you’re — you’re noting the folks who wanted him to run. This is August 2023. We’re not talking Republican voters here. We’re talking 77 percent of everyone asked, was he too old to be effective to serve in other terms [sic]? Some of them said, yeah, he’s too old, Democrats, seven in 10. How do you — how do you square that with the decision to put them through it again? Because he really wanted to. JILL BIDEN: Well, you know, I square it with in 2023, the Democratic Party was behind my husband. And then the debate happened and things changed. So, you know, in my book, I write about everything that happened. MELVIN: You do. JILL BIDEN: I put it all in context. You read my book. MELVIN: You do, yes. JILL BIDEN: Thank you for that. And so, I think readers will understand from my point of view, and I think we have to point out, Craig. Like, that’s one chapter of my book. My book is not about politics. It’s about me, my reflections, my life, my life as a teacher. My life is the first working lady — you know, First Lady. I went to work. I taught at a community college. I took a paycheck. I wanted to say to American women, look at me. I am like you are. MELVIN: Yep. JILL BIDEN: I’m balancing a job, my family, and then my duties as First Lady. And that’s what my book is about. MELVIN: Yes. JILL BIDEN: It’s not all about this debate, which was one moment in time, or of our four years. Melvin also didn’t win her over with these hardballs about Kamala Harris and disgust amongst Democrats about the timing of her White House memoir (click “expand”): MELVIN: In her book last fall, former Vice President Kamala Harris — JILL BIDEN: Uh-huh. MELVIN: — she wrote that staying in as long as he did was recklessness, that “the stakes were simply too high to leave to one person’s ambition.” Does the former Vice President perhaps have a bit of a point there? JILL BIDEN: That is her point of view, and if she felt that way, she should have said it. MELVIN: The book, it’s already, as you probably have heard, some fellow Democrats have expressed some frustrations with the timing of the book, reopening old wounds, potentially — JILL BIDEN: I’m not reopening old wounds. MELVIN: — but this is just — this is just some of what they’ve been told over the last few days. Take a listen. SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT) [on CBS’s Face the Nation, 05/31/26]: I think Democrats do have to be honest about the mistakes that we made in 2024. Obviously, in retrospect, Joe Biden should have stepped away from that race. CONGRESSMAN ADAM SMITH (D-WA) [on NBC News NOW, 05/29/26]: Jill Biden, his family, his inner circle, I mean, they did this country, and certainly the Democratic Party, a grave disservice by allowing this to go forward. MEGHAN HAYS [on C-SPAN, 05/29/26]: When we get pulled back into conversations about age and the election in 24, it’s never going to be a good place for Democrats. MELVIN: What’s your — what’s your response? JILL BIDEN: We are moving on. You know, Democrats have a great future. I think, you know, we’re looking forward to winning the midterms. And I think things are going to move forward in a more positive way. And yes, we look back and we’re going to learn from the mistakes we made. Jill must have thought the interview was turning back toward softer topics as Melvin told her: “You’re right. The book isn’t about politics.” Much to her chagrin, Melvin shrewdly used that as a segue to Hunter Biden and that, in the book, she “acknowledge[d] that the former President’s senior advisors said not a good idea, but ultimately, you and the former President decided that, for your family, it would be a good idea.” After she said “I did support, of course” because “I’m his mother,” Melvin correctly called out this (putrid) precedent it set: “Have you made peace with the idea, perhaps, that a decision that could have been good for the Biden family may not have been necessarily good for the office of the President or President moving forward?” WATCH: Jill Biden’s full exchange with NBC’s Craig Melvin on Monday’s ‘Today’ defending Joe’s pardoning of Hunter — despite having said he wouldn’t — because “the administration changed” with Trump winning the election and they “could not see our son” go to jail thanks to Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/ITgfGjEag3 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2026 Like a true politician’s wife, Jill maintained “Joe wasn’t thinking about himself” because, “you know, he said all along he was not going to pardon Hunter.” Referencing an early June 2024 ABC interview, Jill admitted without stating it out loud that the only reason Joe pardoned Hunter was because Trump won the election and they “could not see our son” go to jail thanks to Trump’s “political” Justice Department (click “expand”): JILL BIDEN: Then the administration changed. You know, the process was not fair to Hunter. And I could — Joe could not see our son — you know, then the current President won, and the Justice Department changed, it became political. You know, Craig, you and I both know we grew up with, you know, the three separate branches of government, hands off, you know, Joe would never have interfered in — in the Justice Department, and told the Justice Department what to do or how to handle it. So, we were never — I mean, at the end, when we saw the Trump-- if someone tells you who they are, believe it. Trump said, “I want Hunter Biden to go to jail.” JILL BIDEN: We could not let our son go to jail on a — on that charge for a gun that he bought —  MELVIN: So — JILL BIDEN: — and he had for 11 days. We could not let him do it. MELVIN: — so, the President basically — JILL BIDEN: Changed his mind. MELVIN: — changed his mind — JILL BIDEN: Yes. MELVIN: — because he lost faith in the system? JILL BIDEN: Because — yes, I guess it is, yeah. With less than 90 seconds left, the NBC co-host let her off by asking a softball about what she wants the Biden family’s “personal legacy” to be: [I]t’s interesting because we started this conversation by talking about our connection. And the Biden legacy so much of it is going to involve cancer. You lost — Beau — to cancer. You launched the Moonshot Initiative, and now the former President has stage four prostate cancer. In — in terms of legacy, as you look back on this chapter, what do you want the Biden family legacy to be? The — not the political legacy — the personal legacy when it comes to these families right now, who are in similar fights? Thankfully for Jill, she migrated over to the show’s fourth hour where the waters — managed by Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones — were far calmer and friendlier. To see the relevant NBC transcript from June 1, click here.

On Wednesday's The Weeknight, MS NOW co-host Symone Sanders seemed to call ICE agents "monsters" as she complained about the treatment of illegal aliens who are being detained. The show also resumed the liberal network's narrative of trying to claim that ICE is not arresting "the worst of the worst," or that President Donald Trump is breaking his promises on immigration enforcement. After Sanders began the segment by recounting complaints by Democrats about detention conditions for immigrants held in a Newark facility, co-host Alicia Menendez asserted: So, number one, we were told by this administration, "We're gonna go after the worst of the worst." Leader Jeffries has released a statement about what is happening at Delaney Hall, saying the majority of detainees at that facility have no criminal record. These are not criminals -- they're moms and dads. A bit later, Sanders jumped in: MS NOW Misleadingly Pushes Narrative Trump Broke Promise on Deporting Criminals pic.twitter.com/nDlUbVScRo — Brad Wilmouth (@bradwilmouth) May 29, 2026 This is what one of the other letters said: "We feel vulnerable and, in a way, kidnapped, detained without justification. Not to mention that we are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers. We see with deep helplessness and frustration that our due process rights and defense have been violated, disregarding benefits granted under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the United States Constitution." The MS NOW host added: "This is despicable. These people are monsters, and someone should do something." Over the past year, MS NOW's hosts and analysts have repeatedly claimed that the Trump administration is not arresting "the worst of the worst" while routinely ignoring DHS when it frequently releases lists of violent criminal aliens after they are arrested. Last October, on The Weekend: Primetime, liberal comedian Cristela Alonzo was even given a forum to claim that ICE agents are not going after criminals because the agents are afraid of them: They say they're going after criminals, but they're not. They're afraid of criminals. ... That's why they go after the tamale lady. That's why they go after the gardeners. That's why -- because they're easy targets. They're not trying to go after criminals -- they're trying to go after the easiest, most vulnerable people they can get. But, it has been pointed out repeatedly by border czar Tom Homan that it is important to locate and process any illegal aliens because millions not only were allowed into the country by President Joe Biden without proper vetting, but there were millions more known gotaways who evaded Border Patrol entirely to enter the country. And, even though Trump and administration officials have long promised to arrest and deport any illegal aliens that ICE finds as they search for criminals, MS NOW personalities have repeatedly asserted that Trump promised to "only" go after "the worst of the worst."  On NBC's Meet the Press in December 2024, Trump clearly promised to go after all illegals: Trump Administration Has Long Promised Mass Deportation pic.twitter.com/3rQPpLotub — Brad Wilmouth (@bradwilmouth) June 1, 2026 KRISTEN WELKER: Is it realistic to deport everyone who's here illegally? DONALD TRUMP: We have no choice. First of all, they're costing us a fortune, but we're starting with the criminals, and we got to do it. And then we're starting with others, and we'll see how it goes. WELKER: Who are the others? TRUMP: Others are other people outside of criminals. And, in his Republican National Convention speech in July 2024, he promised the biggest mass deportation campaign since the 1950s.  Additionally, claims by the liberal media that most immigrants being arrested by ICE have no criminal record ignore those who have been charged but not yet convicted, or those who have criminal records in their countries of origin who may have come to the U.S. to flee justice. According to DHS, about 70 percent of those arrested have criminal records. Transcripts follow: MS NOW's The Weeknight May 27, 2026 7:51 p.m. Eastern SYMONE SANDERS: I don't know if you've heard, but the Homeland Security secretary is making a brazen new threat over protests at an ICE facility in New Jersey. Markwayne Mullin says he's drawing up plans to stop processing international flights to Newark airport, and the secretary made those comments following protests at Delaney Hall in Newark, an ICE facility where detainees told lawmakers they are on a hunger and a labor strike. In letters released by advocates, the detainees described overcrowded spaces where the flu is a constant problem. This week, New Jersey Senator Andy Kim was hit with pepper spray during a clash between protesters and federal agents at the facility. Here's what the Senator told Chris Hayes. SENATOR ANDY KIM (R-NJ): We cannot give ICE billions of dollars more with no accountability when American families are getting nothing here and nothing to help them with their affordability crisis. SANDERS: Important to note Representative LaMonica McIver is currently facing 17 years in prison over allegations that she assaulted an ICE officer outside Delaney Hall last year. Senator Andy Kim better watch out. It seems like this is an administration that wants to weaponize the potential oversight from members of Congress. MICHAEL STEELE: Well, the airline piece is -- SANDERS: That's crazy. Can they do that? STEELE: This is just a new level of stupid. That's all. Because what will happen? No. Well, yes they can. I mean, they can do that. But here's the problem. When they are sued, either by the airline, the, you know, passengers or whomever, whoever has standing -- there we are -- and it gets in front of a judge, you've got to have a really good rationale for singling out one state and saying that you cannot land an international flight there. Now, can they do it? They can do anything. Who's going to stop them? But the reality of it is, I think that's just a lot of noise at this point. And it's crazy noise because, again, to, you know, Mr. Kim's point, the reality is folks are trying to make things meet up for them -- their bills, their groceries, their kids, you know, soccer games. They're trying to get them their -- ALICIA MENENDEZ: Instead, we're spending money on these facilities. STEELE: Instead, we're spending money on these facilities. And then again, you don't even have the level of accountability that members show up and they're told, "Wait, come back tomorrow or come back later when we'll accommodate you." They are under law required to open those doors when they show up. MENENDEZ: So, number one, we were told by this administration, "We're gonna go after the worst of the worst." Leader Jeffries has released a statement about what is happening at Delaney Hall, saying the majority of detainees at that facility have no criminal record. These are not criminals -- they're moms and dads. To your point, Michael, about the necessity of oversight by Congress, Senator Kim was allowed inside one of the facilities and talked about what it was he saw. This is something he posted on the platform X -- an 18-year-old high school student crying, saying she just wanted to graduate senior year; a pregnant woman unable to get full OBGYN medical support; a woman who had a miscarriage in the detention facility and was left to manage all on her own; a mom not allowed to spend more than a few minutes with a four-month-old baby, a husband of an American citizen, wife and kid, a carton with the milk inside congealed solid -- the expiration date is tomorrow. You know, Nicolle Wallace often says to me when she and I are going through these stories, like, "What's the -- what's the conversation? What is the conversation we're supposed to be happening (sic)?" And I would -- I would posit that in this case, part of our responsibility is simply to bear witness. There are detainees inside that building. They have no criminal record. They are not being treated in a way that is humane or that is in honor of the Constitution of this country. They are writing letters that they are smuggling outside of that detention center because they want the three of us, and they want all of you at home to know what is happening to them inside that detention facility, in our name, with our tax dollars. SANDERS: This is what one of the other letters said: "We feel vulnerable and, in a way, kidnapped, detained without justification. Not to mention that we are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers. We see with deep helplessness and frustration that our due process rights and defense have been violated, disregarding benefits granted under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the United States Constitution." This is despicable. These people are monsters, and someone should do something. MENENDEZ: The most insane part is that DHS is just claiming there is no hunger strike happening (...) The Weekend June 28, 2025 9:38 a.m. Eastern JONATHAN CAPEHART: Despite the Trump administration's claims they're deporting the "worst of the worst," NBC has new data showing that only a fraction of undocumented immigrants detained have been convicted of sexual assault and homicide. (...) Morning Joe July 31, 2025 6:57 a.m. MORGAN RADFORD: Now that you know, even though this isn't what Trump said -- even though this isn't what he ran on -- he said it was just the criminals, and everybody is finding out it's not just the criminals even though that's what he promised -- now that you see that that is not the promise that was fulfilled, what do you do about it? (...) Chris Jansing Reports October 8, 2025 1:40 p.m. JACOB SOBOROFF: I am seeing everyday civilians -- and, you know, granted, they might be undocumented -- taken into custody in the course of their quotidian activities -- walking to the market to pick up meat to make a stew; coffee cups left on the side, as you said, of the road, because they wanted to have a chat before they went off to work, one of the them as a mechanic. It certainly not just the worst of the worst, and I can tell you that categorically, that people are going after here.  (...) The Weekend: Primetime October 11, 2025 8:42 a.m. CRISTELA ALONZO, COMEDIAN: They say they're going after criminals, but they're not. They're afraid of criminals. And that's the thing that think we need to talk -- the criminals that they think -- that they want people to think they're going after, they're not. That's why they go after the tamale lady. That's why they go after the gardeners. That's why -- because they're easy targets. They're not trying to go after criminals -- they're trying to go after the easiest, most vulnerable people they can get. (...) Katy Tur Reports November 13, 2025 3:00 p.m. KATY TUR: The administration keeps saying "the worst of the worst," but the numbers do not show that, by and large. (...) Morning Joe November 19, 2025 7:31 a.m. SOBOROFF: It is indiscriminate taking people off of the streets -- not going after the worst of the worst. (...) Velshi November 29, 2025 CHARLES COLEMAN Jr., FILL-IN HOST: The only problem is the majority of people being held in ICE detention centers are actually not the violent criminals that Donald Trump promised to detain and to deport. Out of more than 65,000 migrants booked into ICE detention since October 1, only five percent have violent convictions. Nearly 73 percent have no criminal record at all. (...) Chris Jansing Reports December 11, 2025 12:30 p.m. JANSING: We've heard over and over again from Kristi Noem -- we've heard it from President -- the President that they are going after the worst of the worst. Are they? JOHN SANDWEG, EX-ICE DIRECTOR: No, Chris, they're not going after the worst of the worst. ... If you look at just the data itself, despite all available data demonstrating the truth, which is that the majority of these targets are not people with a criminal history and certainly not with a criminal conviction. Over 73 percent of the people in ICE detention today have no criminal conviction. Yet the White House continues to push this narrative (...) Morning Joe January 22, 2026 7:47 a.m. WILLIE GEIST: But also this idea that they're getting "the worst of the worst" over and over again when they're own internal data shows that's just not the case. If they're arresting rapists and murderers, do it. Get them all. But that's not what's happening. (...) Morning Joe January 23, 2026 8:06 a.m. JOE SCARBOROUGH: Most Americans want the worst of the worst to be taken out of this country, but that's obviously not what's been happening. (...) Ana Cabrera Reports January 23, 2026 10:24 a.m. JOYCE VANCE, MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST: Donald Trump promised us during the campaign that he would take dangerous people off of American streets. And instead, look at all of the federal law enforcement resources that are being devoted to using five-year-olds. (...) Chris Jansing Reports January 23, 2026 12:06 p.m. JANSING: One thing everybody can agree on, that little boy -- can we put his picture up again? That little boy is not the worst of the worst that this administration keeps talking about. (...) Katy Tur Reports January 27, 2026 2:15 p.m. SOBOROFF: They're going to tell you this is the worst of the worst, and I'm -- I will tell you there's nothing true about that. (...) Morning Joe January 29, 2026 6:12 a.m. GEIST: They're not going after the worst of the worst, as promised. (...) 7:10 a.m. MIKE BARNICLE, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: They're not going after the worst of the worst. They're picking off people who have arrived in this country -- maybe yesterday, maybe 10 years ago -- who are not registered citizens of the United States or are in line to become citizens of the United States, and they're being treated like the worst of the worst. (...) Ana Cabrera Reports January 29, 2026 10:08 a.m. CABRERA: When he says they're going to focus on targeted operations, that's where my mind went. Like, that's what they've been saying all along. Remember? "We're going after the worst of the worst." And yet we keep finding more and more cases of people who have no criminal records being detained, children being detained, American citizens being detained (...) Deadline: White House January, 29, 2026 4:08 p.m. NICOLLE WALLACE: I wonder if the whole project of going after the worst of the worst has been blown apart as a lie. (...) 4:16 p.m. WALLACE: And so the worst of the worst, who he campaigned on deporting and showed videos at his rallies of the horrible, heinous crimes those committed. They're in jails. They are not five-year-olds at preschool. They are not landscapers at work with four Marine sons (...) Morning Joe February 3, 2026 8:01 a.m. SCARBOROUGH: They're not taking care of the worst of the worst. (...) Deadline: White House February 4, 2026 4:10 p.m. SOBOROFF: They are not targeting the worst of the worst. (...) Morning Joe February 5, 2026 7:04 p.m. SCARBOROUGH: ...the fact that they're not getting the worst of the worst -- only seven percent... (...) Katy Tur Reports February 6, 2026 2:11 p.m. TUR: Is it a desire to arrest the worst of the worst, as we keep hearing about, or is it just to get everybody out. I know they keep saying, "the worst of the worst," but I was at the RNC. It said "mass deportations now," which didn't imply, "We're going to get the violent criminals" -- it implied, "We're going to get everybody." (...) 2:16 p.m. TUR: And I imagine that when people were voting, they just, you know, either they were voting on the economy and this was a secondary issue, or, in their minds, they thought that it -- "How could anybody do the things that -- what the President -- that the President is doing now?" They just couldn't fathom that the President would be as cruel as what they're witnessing, and are now starting to rethink it. (...) The Weekend February 7, 2026 9:11 a.m. JACKIE ALEMANY: The Trump administration claimed they would only go after the worst of the worst. (...) PoliticsNation February 7, 2026 5:17 p.m. SENATOR TINA SMITH (D-MN): They are not able to go after the worst of the worst because they have ripped that apart. (...) The Weekend: Primetime February 7, 2026 6:01 p.m. AYMAN MOHYELDIN: Despite saying he's going after the "worst of the worst," children bear the weight and trauma of the President's extreme policies." (...) 8:18 p.m. NIKKI McCANN RAMIREZ, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: You're seeing a lot of people whom you know said, "Oh, this is what I voted for," initially now realizing that the administration is not going for the bad guys, they're not going for the worst of the worst -- they're going after residents and American citizens, and they're doing racial profiling and terrorizing cities and communities and people's neighbors. (...) PoliticsNation February 8, 2026 5:19 p.m. GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): I want, just as Donald Trump promised, the worst of the worst to be gone -- you know, the murderers, the rapists, you know, that's all we're going after. If that's all you're going after, then why is there a 17-year-old high school student from Long Island, sitting in a detention center in Upstate New York. (...) Ana Cabrera Reports February 9, 2026 10:53 p.m. ANA CABRERA: The number of children held in ICE detention on any given day has now jumped more than sixfold since the start of the second Trump administration. Clearly, these aren't the worst of the worst, right? The administration says that's who they're targeting. (...) Katy Tur Reports February 9, 2026 2:48 p.m. JACOB SOBOROFF: They are not going after the worst of the worst. (...) Morning Joe February 10, 2026 6:51 a.m. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Donald Trump has promised to go after the worst of the worst, but the new numbers suggest way otherwise. (...) 9:23 a.m. JONATHAN LEMIRE: Less than 14 percent of the nearly 400,000 ICE arrests that occurred during the first year of Trump's second term involved individuals with violent criminal charges or convictions. And that's just worth underscoring, Joe, not only has this become, you know, so terrible politically for this White House and for Republicans, but the numbers simply aren't there. They are not doing what they said they would do. (...) SCARBOROUGH: Now, that number has dropped all the way to seven percent -- so about seven percent of the people that are being stopped and detained by ICE -- only seven percent a criminal record -- are violent criminals. So, yeah, the worst of the worst? No, not even close.  (...) Morning Joe February 12, 2026 9:31 a.m. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: They didn't go after the worst of the worst. (...) Deadline: White House 4:07 p.m. STATE SENATOR ERIN MAY QUADE (D-MN): They will say ICE is getting out the worst of the worst, and what we have seen is that they're actually targeting the best of the best. (...) Deadline: White House February 13, 2026 5:37 p.m. LEE GELERNT, ACLU: What we now see is the lie of the campaign that there was going to be an attempt to go after the worst of the worst. We now know it's not true. I mean, you and I have talked about for a while that it was never going to be like that. (...) Morning Joe February 24, 2026 7:24 a.m. CLAIRE McCASKILL, MSNOW CONTRIBUTOR: They said only the worst of the worst is what they were going to go after. (...) SCARBOROUGH: The border is secure. Take it as a victory and go after the worst of the worst, which, right now, according to CAYO studies, constitute seven percent of the people that they capture. That means seven percent are the worst of the worst. The other 93 percent, little kids, grandmas, tourists who are here legally -- people that they throw into these internment camps. (...) Katy Tur Reports March 5, 2026 2:47 p.m. LAURA BARRON LOPEZ: The immigration enforcement has spread far beyond just criminals and who the administration calls the worst of the worst. (...) Katy Tur Reports March 11, 2026 3:20 p.m. ASHLEY PARKER, THE ATLANTIC: You're not just getting, you know, as Trump claimed, the worst of the worst. (...) Velshi March 14, 2026 12:32 p.m. ALI VELSHI: Donald Trump said he was going after the worst of the worst and the rapists and the murderers, and then we found out that's actually not happening, and that American citizens are getting wrapped up and legal immigrants and getting wrapped up... (...) The Beat with Ari Melber March 17, 2026 6:44 p.m. ARI MELBER: ...what Trump said he was going to do in '24, which was crack down on violent criminals and other immigrants who posed a threat -- which is something a lot of people sounded okay. It's not what they're doing. (...) Morning Joe March 20, 2026 7:42 a.m. ROSA FLORES: They're not going into -- after the worst of the worst. (...) Deadline: White House April 1, 2026 5:49 p.m. MICHELE NORRIS: They're not going after the worst of the worst. Instead, they're going after people who, in many cases, have no criminal records at all. (...) The Weekend April 19, 2026 9:26 a.m. EUGENE DANIELS: We were promised that they were taking the worst of the worst, whatever that means. ... That has never been true. The data has come out since last February that's been clear that that hasn't been true. (...) ... the fact that the administration is not taking the worst of the worst. (...) Chris Jansing Reports April 22, 2026 1:14 p.m. DAVID DRUCKER: What they expected from Trump was to close the border, which he did, but also, in terms of a deportation program, to go after criminal aliens -- go after the worst of the worst and to leave -- essentially leave people alone who were in the country working, paying their taxes, and weren't a public safety threat. And that's been the opposite of what this administration has done. (...) Morning Joe May 4, 2026 9:25 a.m. JONATHAN LEMIRE: ...and it wasn't just what was promised -- what Trump said during the campaign -- "Oh, just the worst of the worst," I'm paraphrasing, "we'll get out." Instead, it was people who have called this country home for years. (...) Morning Joe May 21, 2026 6:50 a.m. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Breastfeeding mothers definitely not the worst of the worst. This is some sick stuff that's happening here. (...) Deadline: White House May 26, 2026 5:37 p.m. CONGRESSMAN ROB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): Trump had campaigned on the worst of the worst, but I got to tell you, in Delaney Hall in Elizabeth Detention Center, that's not who we're seeing there. (...) The Weeknight May 28, 2026 7:53 p.m. ALICIA MENENDEZ: We were told by this administration that they were going to go after the worst of the worst. Leader Jeffreys has released a statement about what is happening at Delaney Hall, saying the majority of detainees at that facility have not criminal record. These are not criminals -- they're moms and dads. (...) There are detainees inside that building that have no criminal record.

Saturday night’s episode of The Weekend: Primetime on MS NOW featured Democrat Doug Jones discussing his long-shot bid to become governor of Alabama in a race against Tommy Tuberville. In a remarkable display, ex-Senator Jones and the MS NOW hosts combined to use the phrase “heavy lift” five separate times. That's a lot of weight for poor Doug to lift. Alabama hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since 1998. The last time the two faced off, Tuberville destroyed Jones, beating the incumbent Democratic senator by almost 20 points. Shades of a cupcake game before the Iron Bowl for former Auburn coach Tuberville. Yet despite these brutal realities, MS NOW insisted on framing this race as some noble, difficult-but-worthwhile effort. One almost expected them to break into the old Tennessee Ernie Ford song: “You load sixteen tons, and whaddya get? Another day older and deeper in debt.” Or perhaps: “He ain’t heavy… he’s our Democrat candidate!” MS NOW’s ‘Heavy Lift’ Copium: Five Times for Doug Jones in Alabama pic.twitter.com/0ro003Vpo3 — Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) June 1, 2026 The whole segment reeked of copium. You have to wonder: is Jones actually trying to win the governorship — or simply keeping his name alive and his profile high enough to land another comfortable gig when he loses? After his landslide loss to Tuberville in 2020, Jones quickly collected the usual prizes for defeated Democrats: a CNN commentator gig, fellowships at Georgetown and the University of Chicago, and a Biden administration role as a Supreme Court nominations advisor. Once again, MS NOW wasn’t doing journalism — it was running interference for a fellow Democrat, shamelessly pumping up a hopeless candidate while pretending it’s all just one big “heavy lift.”

On Monday, amid the new sexting scandal for Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, otherwise known for his Nazi tattoo and past Reddit comments, MS NOW’s Morning Joe spent little time on the topic. The only segment of the morning show regarding the scandal came three hours and 35 minutes into the show. The segment aired just under a month after the show’s softball interview with Platner. To their credit, panelists Elise Jordan, co-host of The Weekend: Primetime, and Lauren Leader, CEO of All In Together, both went after Platner, as Jordan called out Lemire's description of the tattoo as merely “Nazi-style.” With no Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, or Willie Geist on Monday, 9 AM host Jonathan Lemire took the reins for the entire show. He introduced the scandal with reporting from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal: Welcome back. Graham Platner, the presumptive democratic nominee looking to unseat Senator Susan Collins in Maine, is facing yet another controversy this morning.  Over the weekend, both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times released reports that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women while married. Platner's actions were first brought to attention to the campaign last year by his wife, Amy Gertner, who worried what would happen if they were made public.    Monday's Morning Joe buried the new Graham Platner sexting scandal 3 hours and 35 minutes into the show. To their credit, panelists Elise Jordan and Lauren Leader both went after Platner, as Jordan knocked out Jonathan Lemire's description of the tattoo as merely “Nazi-style.” pic.twitter.com/eorPU1haBs — Nick (@nspin310) June 1, 2026   Lemire then recalled the past controversies of Platner, even with a mention of the Nazi tattoo that he whitewashed as just “Nazi-style”: This controversy is the latest in a campaign that has seen Platner being forced to respond to things like old offensive posts on Reddit, to a Nazi-style tattoo. Democratic leaders seem split on the candidate. He then turned to Jordan for her thoughts of Platner, as he said, “Platner’s campaign has showed a remarkable resiliency to this point,” but then mentioned the reality of a campaign versus current Republican Senator Susan Collins, and called the new Platner scandal “another real headache for the party.” Jordan went hard after Platner and his tattoo, with a slight knock on Lemire's framing: It's one thing to have foolish, youthful indiscretions, but I'm sorry you cannot get past - it is not a Nazi-style tattoo. It is the tattoo of concentration camp guards. It is the very worst tattoo you can get if you are getting anything Nazi. And that's a pretty high bar there. So this has been a slow-motion train wreck ever since that tattoo and knowledge of it hit the world, and it's only going to get worse. Then, Leader, her fellow panelist, asked if Democrats want to support his candidacy since they claim to have “moral high ground,” as she lowered expectations for a Senate win in Maine over versus Collins, as, she said, it, “was a long shot to begin with.” Adding: “And I will say, as a Democrat, I find it really problematic when we stand by people who do not, you know, who do not pass muster when it comes to some basic judgment and moral values, and we stand by them because they're on our side. How is that different than Republicans doing the same thing? I find it really problematic.” In a day with no Scarborough or Brzezinski, the Platner scandal did not get premier coverage with watchers of the premier liberal morning show. Amid the growing list of scandals, a replay of the show’s love-fest with the candidate, with Scarborough even comparing himself to Platner, should raise questions. The transcript is below. Click "expand": MS NOW’s Morning Joe June 1, 2026 9:35:45 AM Eastern JONATHAN LEMIRE: Welcome back. Graham Platner, the presumptive democratic nominee looking to unseat Senator Susan Collins in Maine, is facing yet another controversy this morning.  Over the weekend, both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times released reports that Platner had exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women while married. Platner's actions were first brought to attention to the campaign last year by his wife, Amy Gertner, who worried what would happen if they were made public.  The Times writes that Genevieve Macdonald, a former state legislator who was the Platner campaign's political director before leaving in October, said that Gertner reached out just days before a big Labor Day rally with Senator Bernie Sanders and was concerned that her husband's behavior could become a political liability. The messages were confirmed by the campaign, and a representative for Platner said he has since stopped and that he and his wife are in counseling. Gertner posted a video statement on social media in which she defended her husband. (...) 9:37:25 AM Eastern LEMIRE: This controversy is the latest in a campaign that has seen Platner being forced to respond to things like old offensive posts on Reddit, to a Nazi-style tattoo. Democratic leaders seem split on the candidate. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California, standing by Platner, writing on social media on Saturday that he looks forward to their scheduled campaign event. But others, like Senator Cory Booker, are worried of the impact on the party's chances to retake the Senate. (...) 9:38:13 AM Eastern LEMIRE: So, Elise, Platner’s campaign has showed a remarkable resiliency to this point. Right? I mean, he dispatched a pretty popular sitting governor, Governor Mills, in the primary, and polls have him up on Susan Collins.  Now, we should note, polls in Maine, traditionally unreliable. And Susan Collins is nothing if not a survivor. At the very least, we can say this is another real headache for the party. ELISE JORDAN: Graham Platner is clearly a very talented retail politician, but the problem is his judgment, which he clearly has been lacking in as an adult.  It's one thing to have foolish, youthful indiscretions, but I'm sorry you cannot get past - it is not a Nazi-style tattoo. It is the tattoo of concentration camp guards. It is the very worst tattoo you can get if you are getting anything Nazi. And that's a pretty high bar there. So this has been a slow-motion train wreck ever since that tattoo and knowledge of it hit the world, and it's only going to get worse.  These texts, there are multiple women. Are all those women going to keep their mouths shut from now until election day? What do you think, Lauren? LAUREN LEADER: Well, right. And I mean, it’s a little - you know, I certainly appreciate his wife wanting to stand up for him. But I mean, come on, it's politics. What do you think is going to happen? Of course, everything is fair game.  And of course, people's character, their behavior, and their treatment of women matters. And is there a double standard in the parties? Um, 100 percent there is because of - I don't even have to begin to explain the double standards when it comes to the President of the United States.  But Democrats have been trying to walk to be to take the moral high ground and to run candidates that don't have these kinds of deep moral and personal problems.  And by the way, you know, it was a long shot to begin with, to think that Democrats are going to take out Susan Collins. She's been there since 1996. The polls are wrong every single cycle. She has extraordinary resilience. And by the way, she knows the district incredibly well. She has served the people of Maine. Like her or not, Democrats dream of taking her out. I didn't think it was especially realistic to begin with, regardless of who was running, and now you have this very problematic guy.  And I will say, as a Democrat, I find it really problematic when we stand by people who do not, you know, who do not pass muster when it comes to some basic judgment and moral values, and we stand by them because they're on our side. How is that different than Republicans doing the same thing? I find it really problematic. LEMIRE: It's going to be really fascinating to watch how the parties decide to deploy resources. For instance, Texas is now going to become much more expensive. Republicans are going to have to divert money to Texas that maybe they could have used in Maine for Collins, we will have to see. But it is - one thing is clear, the senate appears to be a true toss up as we sit here on June 1st.  (...)

You have to laugh when Jim Acosta is warning that CBS and CNN are going to turn into a "propaganda giant" when they're in danger of being a little more balanced in their "news." The CBS show Sunday Morning has been a routine propaganda stop for Democrats, and that was no different for Jill Biden, who preposterously claimed her husband was still lucid.  Associate editor Nick Fondacaro and our Sunday-show specialist Jorge Bonilla (also a Spanish-language radio host) joined me to assess what happened on Sunday. Mrs. Biden was so shameless on CBS that she said she'd never seen Biden mentally fail like that before the debate.... "or since." CBS interviewer Rita Braver just said: "Or since?" This flies in the face of everything that the American people saw throughout the Biden presidency -- the shaking hands with the air, asking "Where's Jackie?" for a congresswoman who was dead, the tripping all over.  This interview is where "Doctor" Biden uncorked her lie that during the debate debacle in 2024, she thought her husband had suffered a stroke. What wife who thought her husband was having a stroke would just sit and watch it? Jill Biden came out after the debate and yelled that all Trump did was lie. But that's what the Bidens have done about Joe Biden's declining cognitive fitness from the 2020 campaign forward. It was obvious to everyone just from the way his team kept him separated from the press. We'll never forget the press aide in the Easter Bunny costume leading the president away from reporters during the egg hunt! Mrs. Biden is doing a whole round of book interviews -- from NBC's Today on Monday to ABC's The View and MS NOW's Morning Joe on Tuesday. All of these networks carried water for the Bidens throughout his term. But Alyssa Farah and The View may be the most obtuse. The other Sunday-show phenomenon was the sudden emergence of Graham Platner coverage. The networks haven't seen fit to cover the socialist Senate candidate from Maine and his Nazi tattoo. But a new story on Platner sexting women while he was married caused a breakthrough. Even so, the questions were very gentle.  On CNN, Dana Bash asked: "Do you have concerns?" Yep.  On CBS, Margaret Brennan tried: "Does he pass the character test?" No. NBC's Kristen Welker threw softly: "Does Graham Platner pose a headache for Democrats?" Duh. ABC's Jonathan Karl worried for his party: "Do you have concerns with the weight of all these controversies that it may jeopardize Democratic hopes to get that Senate seat in Maine?" Finally, MS NOW host Eugene Daniels doesn't care about democracy in this hemisphere. He was fine with communism in Cuba: "It's their country, so them deciding what kind of government and political system they want to have, the leaders and the folks in that country, is their business, I think a lot of people would say." Enjoy the podcast below. The audio is here.