MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Wednesday criticized Donald Trump's eulogy for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, with Scarborough stating the speech was more fitting for a pub than a house of worship.
Trump delivered the largely unscripted eulogy on Tuesday at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., recounting anecdotes from his relationship with the South Carolina Republican. The "Morning Joe" hosts expressed surprise and disapproval at some of Trump's choices, including his recollection of leaking Graham's cellphone number in 2015.
"I mean, 'Lindsey never saw a war he didn't like?'" Scarborough said sarcastically, quoting from Trump's speech. He expressed a desire for something "more moving and complimentary and poignant."
Brzezinski reacted with disbelief, asking, "Is this a eulogy at a funeral?" Both hosts appeared to react with dismay to clips of the speech.
Trump had told attendees that "Virtually everyone, Republican or Democrat, liked Lindsey," before adding with a laugh, "Well, not everybody, but it sounds good." He also joked about leaking Graham's number during the 2016 presidential campaign, saying it kickstarted their "friendship" and that "Lindsey did not stop calling me for the next 10 years."
Ed Luce of the Financial Times offered a different perspective, suggesting that "the policy of honesty, even in a eulogy at a funeral," was not necessarily disrespectful. Scarborough and Brzezinski were seen laughing during Luce's interjection.
Graham, a prominent Republican voice on foreign policy, died earlier this month at the age of 71. Preliminary findings by the District of Columbia medical examiner indicated he died from a tear in his aorta.
Graham was a vocal supporter of the 2026 Iran War, telling Fox News host Maria Bartiromo in March, "Cuba is next."