Jokes are all good and well until they involve a reporter and cocaine.
During the first half hour of today’s MSNBC “Morning Joe,” between 6 and 6:30 this morning, co-host Joe Scarborough made a joke about “Morning Joe” regular John Heilemann doing cocaine. It was during the news headlines segment. Apparently, Heilemann complained off-air about the crack crack. Heilemann is the author of the Game Change/Double Down books and a National Affairs Editor at New York Magazine.
Some may recall when Heilemann’s co-author, TIME‘s Mark Halperin, called President Obama “kind of a dick” on the show and as a result was suspended, despite profound on-air apologies from Mika Brzezinksi and Scarborough. In that case, Halperin had been trying to amuse Mika and Joe. In this case, the joke was forced on Heilemann, who wasn’t amused.
It is clear, at least to some extent, that the two men having a jovial relationship. This morning, Heilemann posted a Vine of Mika punching Joe on the set. He wrote, “A vivid demo of @joenbc‘s style on the basketball court — and on set at @morningjoe every day.” Watch here.
The Mirror requested comment from MSNBC. None was forthcoming by press time.
Correction: MSNBC aired the joke twice Wednesday morning, according to a media monitoring service.