Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough ridiculed Howard Lutnick after Lutnick defended President Trump’s claim that drug prices fell by “600%.” Fox anchor John Roberts challenged Lutnick, calling parts of the president’s math “mathematically impossible” and noting the actual reduction referenced equated to about 87%. Lutnick’s response, “It just depends on how you look at it,” drew Scarborough’s scorn and a mocking quip referencing Judy Collins’ “Send in the Clowns.”
Joe Scarborough Mocks Howard Lutnick’s ‘Bizarre’ Defense Of Trump’s ‘600%’ Drug-Price Claim
Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, erupted in laughter after replaying what he called Commerce Secretary defense from Howard Lutnick — later clarified as a guest appearance by Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick — who attempted to justify President Donald Trump’s claim that drug prices had fallen by “600%.” Scarborough slammed the explanation as “bizarre,” highlighting the math and the awkwardness of the exchange.
On Fox News, anchor John Roberts pressed Lutnick to explain the president’s remark, noting that some of the claims were “mathematically impossible.” Roberts and Scarborough pointed out that the reduction Lutnick cited corresponds to roughly an 87% decrease, not 600%.
Lutnick replied, “It just depends on how you look at it,” a line Scarborough replayed on Morning Joe while mocking Lutnick’s effort to rationalize the president’s statement.
“It all depends on how you look at it. And if you’re willing to look really stupid while you look at it. The only thing missing there was Judy Collins in the background singing ‘Send in the Clowns’ and then ending by saying: ‘Don’t bother, they’re here!’”
Scarborough urged that a simpler response would have been to admit the claim was an exaggeration: “Yeah, he was wrong. He exaggerated. Nothing can go down 600% and there’s no way when you buy a drug, the drug company is going to pay you six times the amount they were going to charge you.”
He characterized the exchange as another example of exaggerated White House claims and the awkward attempts by surrogates or guests to justify them — a phenomenon he said appears to be happening with increasing frequency.
The clip was featured on Morning Joe and is available via MS NOW.
