Skip to main content
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Jeanine Pirro
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate

Media Matters for America

  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives

Media Matters for America

  • Nav
  • Search
  • News & Analysis
  • Research & Studies
  • Audio & Video
  • Archives
  • Online media
  • Tariffs
  • Jeanine Pirro
  • Take Action
  • Search
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough again misrepresents polling to attack trans athletes

Scarborough: “And if you don't like how I said it, you and the other 5%, you guys go in a corner somewhere and debate it”

Special Programs LGBTQ

Written by Noah Dowe & Ari Drennen

Published 03/27/24 5:02 PM EDT

Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough once again misrepresented polling to attack trans athletes on his March 22 show, claiming that “85% of Americans don't think that a man post-puberty should compete against women in sports” and telling those who disagree with him to “go in a corner somewhere and debate it.”



As Media Matters has previously reported, Scarborough, his co-hosts, and guests have pushed anti-trans talking points numerous times over the last two years, with the MSNBC host repeatedly misrepresenting the findings of a 2022 Pew poll to lament that “82% of Americans don't believe that men who transition post-puberty should be able to compete against women in sports.” In reality, the poll found that while 58% of people “favor” or “strongly favor” laws requiring transgender athletes to compete with members of their birth sex, only 37% of Democrats agree. (The same poll found that 55% of Americans do not know anyone who is transgender.)

Video file

Citation

From the March 22, 2024, edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe

JOE SCARBOROUGH (CO-HOST): In 2022, trans athletes were coming to your neighborhood, and they were going to have sex with whoever you didn't want them to have sex with. I mean, Republicans, some Republicans sent out 20 mailers on trans athletes. Red wave now. Again, sound and fury signifying nothing. 

...



You talk about trans athletes, let's just say it — 85% of Americans don't think that a man post-puberty should compete against women in sports. If you want to have that debate, have that debate. And if you don't like how I said it, you and the other 5%, you guys go in a corner somewhere and debate it. But right here, where 85% of Americans live, Republicans can try to scare people over trans issues or this issue. Americans are like, come on. At the end of the day, Mika, people vote their interests. 

The Latest

  1. Sean Hannity: “Climate changing is the left's mechanism for Marxism”

    Video & Audio 04/22/25 10:00 PM EDT

  2. On WNYC’s On The Media, Brian Tyler Cohen explains how creators like Candace Owens reach people who “aren’t going to seek out overtly political content,” but are “interested in cultural content”

    Video & Audio 04/22/25 6:33 PM EDT

  3. WNYC’s On the Media explores how and why MAGA media and right-wing influencers have captured a massive audience on the internet

    Video & Audio 04/22/25 5:37 PM EDT

  4. Steve Bannon on Pete Hegseth: “We're not gonna go to the ramparts today. We're gonna think this through to have Pete's back”

    Video & Audio 04/22/25 3:48 PM EDT

  5. Ben Shapiro says “the underlying health of the Trump economy was good” before the tariffs

    Video & Audio 04/22/25 1:48 PM EDT

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹‹
  • …
  • Current page 29
  • …
  • Next page ››

In This Article

  • MSNBC

    MSNBC-MMFA-Tag.png
  • Morning Joe

    Morning-Joe-MMFA-Tag.png

Related

  1. MSNBC’s Morning Joe consistently misrepresents trans people as a political liability for Democrats

    Article 06/06/23 12:42 PM EDT

  2. MSNBC's Morning Joe echoes right-wing talking points ahead of the midterms

    Article 10/11/22 4:29 PM EDT

  3. On MSNBC's Deadline: White House, Angelo Carusone explains why right-wing media virtually ignored Kristi Noem's House hearing

    Video & Audio 05/14/25 6:09 PM EDT

Media Matters for America

Sign up for email updates
  • About
  • Contact
  • Corrections
  • Submissions
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS

© 2025 Media Matters for America

RSS