‘Morning Joe’ Says Trump Is ‘Beyond Twisted’ for Calling Jan. 6 Rioters ‘Hostages’ During Ongoing Israeli Crisis | Video

“Morning Joe” cohost Mika Brzezinski responded to Donald Trump calling Jan. 6 insurrectionists “hostages” on Monday, saying that it’s “beyond twisted for him to use that word” — especially considering the actual hostages still hanging in the balance during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Donald Trump, again the Republican frontrunner who’s clinched the nomination,” Brzezinski said after playing a clip from a weekend speech in Ohio in which the former president emphasized his intention to free individuals imprisoned for the Capitol riot in January 2021.

“One of the first things he’ll do in office is free the — and I say this in quotes — ‘hostages,'” Brzezinski said. “It’s beyond twisted for him to use that word. Not surprised, but as disturbed as we’ll ever be.”

Cohost Joe Scarborough went on to imagine American families who know hostages held in Gaza hearing Trump draw such a parallel to aggressors who eagerly turned to violence in Washington D.C.

“People who actually are hostages who were doing nothing but being in their home or at a music festival, minding their own business when Hamas terrorists came and seized them and beat them, raped them, abused them, took them underground,” Scarborough added. “And Donald Trump comparing those people in name to others that drove from across the country, came to the Capitol, used bear spray on police officers, beat the hell out of cops, beat the hell out of other people who got in their way, wanted to hang Mike Pence, were looking for Nancy Pelosi, destroyed a lot of offices, defecated in the United States Capitol and again jammed cops heads in indoors and tried to hurt as many people as they could.”

The hosts also reviewed former Vice President Mike Pence’s response to Trump’s comments, pointing out that he denounced his former colleague and refused to endorse him in the 2024 presidential race.

“I think it’s very unfortunate at a time that there are American hostages being held in Gaza, that the president or any other leaders would refer to people that are moving through our justice system as hostages. It’s just unacceptable,” Pence told Margaret Brennan on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “I was there on Jan. 6. I have no doubt in my mind, Margaret, that some people were caught up in the moment and entered the Capitol, and they’re certainly entitled to due process of law for any nonviolent activities that day, but the assaults on police officers, ultimately an environment that claimed lives, is something that I think was tragic that day and I’ll never diminish it.”

Watch the full “Morning Joe” segment in the video above.

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