Fact Check: Did Trump Call MSNBC Host ‘Charming’ After Mar-a-Lago Meeting?

MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski—both vocal critics of Donald Trump—confirmed meeting with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend to “restart communications,” surprising many.
Anticipating criticism from Democratic viewers and other liberals upset over Trump’s re-election in the November 5 election, Brzezinski defended the decision, asking, “Why wouldn’t” she and Scarborough—her husband—meet with him?
Shortly after reports of the meeting surfaced online, a Truth Social post allegedly from Trump addressing the encounter began circulating. In the post, widely shared on Elon Musk’s X, Trump claimed the MSNBC hosts “begged to meet” with him and described Brzezinski as “charming, as usual.”
The Claim
A post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed that Trump described Brzezinski as “charming” in a Truth Social post following a supposed meeting with her and Joe Scarborough at Mar-a-Lago.
The post also claimed that Joe Scarborough had “begged” Trump for the meeting and that Scarborough approached Trump “like a scolded dog.” The alleged statement, written in a style mimicking Trump’s characteristic tone, has been shared more than 1,000 times and has reached over 500,000 views.
The Facts
As of November 18, 2024, there is no evidence that Donald Trump made this statement on Truth Social or any of his official platforms. A review of Trump’s verified Truth Social account found no such post, nor has the claim been reported by any credible media outlets that closely monitor his communications.
The image of the alleged post has circulated widely on X, primarily from accounts with blue checkmarks seeking to maximize impressions. The most shared version originates from the account @ING2Firebrand, which, based on a Newsweek review, appears to be run by a Trump supporter.
Moreover, the formatting in the image shows slight inconsistencies with Truth Social’s interface, such as font alignment and spacing issues. These discrepancies strongly suggest the post was fabricated using editing tools designed to mimic Truth Social’s design.
Additionally, there is no evidence to support the claim that Scarborough “begged” Trump for a meeting. Both Scarborough and Brzezinski have described the meeting as “cordial.” Brzezinski noted that Trump “was cheerful and upbeat” during the private meeting and “seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues.”
Scarborough added, “We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues, and we told him so.” The co-hosts also confirmed that this was their first in-person meeting with Trump in seven years and that they agreed to resume a dialogue.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s team for comment.
The Ruling
False. There is no verified evidence that Donald Trump made a Truth Social post describing Mika Brzezinski as “charming,” claiming Joe Scarborough “begged” for a meeting, or alleging that Scarborough acted “like a scolded dog.” The viral post is a fabrication, with no credible records, evidence, or official announcements supporting the claims.
FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK