Joe Scarborough slammed as he applauds Speaker Mike Johnson's 'courage' over passage of Ukraine aid bill

WASHINGTON, DC: In a rare move, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough applauded House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday, April 22, following the successful passage of a foreign aid bill allocated for Ukraine.

Despite the 'Morning Joe' crew's recent criticism of Johnson, particularly regarding a border bill thwarted at the direction of Donald Trump, Scarborough acknowledged the risks the Republican Speaker undertook by collaborating with House Democrats and distancing himself from the far-right faction within his own party.

'Morning Joe' hosts acknowledge Speaker Mike Johnson's 'courage'

Scarborough recognized Speaker Johnson's actions as "the best hope" for ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the courage required to defy political pressure. 

The MSNBC host noted, "As we learned during Donald Trump’s administration, being told the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do doesn’t always lead leaders in this age of Trump to doing it. Again, very grateful that Mike Johnson listened and came out, did the right thing, made his own decision, put his job on the line."

Scarborough's co-host, Mika Brzezinski, echoed this sentiment, labeling Johnson's actions a "profile in courage."

Furthermore, MSNBC emphasized the significance of Johnson's decision, highlighting, "In this case that’s courage. Applause going up along the Ukrainian line, the Russian invaders enraged that America was still there to fight."

Joe Scarborough commends Mike Johnson for securing bipartisan support for the foreign aid bill

Scarborough commended Johnson for rallying support from key Republican figures, such as House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep Michael McCaul and House Intelligence Chairman Rep Mike Turner, stressing the importance of standing up not only to Russia but also to other global adversaries.

He noted, "In this case that’s courage. Applause going up along the Ukrainian line, the Russian invaders enraged that America was still there to fight."

"But, you know, I will say, the speaker also, I’ve got to say again, had [House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)] behind him, [House Intelligence Chairman Rep Mike Turner (R-OH)], had other Republican chairmen who kept stressing the importance," expressed Scarborough. 

The MSNBC host stressed, "Not just of pushing back on Russia, but pushing back on [Chinese President Xi Jinping], and pushing back on Kim Jong Un, and pushing back on the mullahs in Iran, and showing them through supporting our allies who are under duress that America will be there. Message sent across the world on Saturday. Can’t overstate." 

Internet divided as Joe Scarborough applauds Speaker Mike Johnson over approval of Ukraine aid

One said, "Can we tamp down the praise for Speaker Mike Johnson? How many Ukraine soldiers died over the past 5 months b/c Johnson wouldn’t bring the aid bill to the floor? That’s not courage! Ukraine momentum was reversed b/c of Mike Johnson."

Another remarked, "He just did the right thing for once and you’re treating him like royalty. How about some credit for the Dems who actually got the bill passed after months of Johnson sitting on it?"

"It's about time one of them actually did the right thing. But when one Republican actually does their job it shouldn't be fanfare but here we are," stated a person and someone else added, "Like we care what you say." 

An individual shared, "Johnson shouldn't get accolades from the media for doing his damn job."

One more echoed, "I'm also glad he finally came around, but that wasn't courage. Courage would've been doing the right thing in the beginning... not waiting until Putin got the upper and thousands of innocent people died. You don't get an award for doing exactly what you're supposed to do."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.