Former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough, now co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” issued stark warnings about former President Donald Trump during an October 2024 appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Scarborough, alongside billionaire Mark Cuban, expressed concerns over Trump’s recent statements regarding potential actions against political opponents.

During the Friday night show, Scarborough urged Republican voters to pay attention to Trump’s own words. “I don’t want people to listen to me, I don’t want them to listen to you, I don’t want them to listen to anybody,” Scarborough said. “I want them to listen to what Donald Trump says.” 

The MSNBC host went on to detail specific claims attributed to Trump. According to Scarborough, Trump recently stated he would use military and National Guard forces to arrest political opponents. When questioned about this stance, Trump allegedly doubled down on his position.

Scarborough also referenced other controversial remarks attributed to the former president, including a statement about wanting to execute the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for perceived disloyalty and a comment to another general expressing a wish for his generals to be like those under Hitler. 

As Scarborough’s tone grew more impassioned, Mark Cuban, known for his role on “Shark Tank” and ownership of the Dallas Mavericks, jumped in with a pop culture analogy, comparing the scenario to the latest season of “The Sopranos,” which drew laughter from the audience. 

Maher, the show’s host, questioned whether Trump could have truly imprisoned Hillary Clinton, as he had previously suggested. In response, Scarborough tackled a common defense of Trump’s statements, noting that some people initially deny Trump said such things, only to dismiss the seriousness of the remarks even after seeing the evidence. Scarborough insisted that Trump’s words should be taken literally. 

Maher noted that those defending Trump often accuse his critics of having “Trump derangement syndrome.” In response, Maher stated, “I would just like to say to my Republican friends that it’s not deranged to fear this, it’s not deranged to find this alarming.”

Scarborough emphasized that these were not speculative claims about Trump’s intentions. “We’re not saying this,” he said. “We’re not guessing what he’s going to do. He’s saying this is what I’m going to do.” The MSNBC host then listed more alleged threats, including potential military tribunals for former Representative Liz Cheney and arrests of MSNBC producers.

Mark Cuban jumped in, calling out Elon Musk for staying silent about Trump’s supposed threats to shut down media outlets. Cuban couldn’t help but point out the irony. Musk is always pushing the free speech agenda, especially on X, but when Trump talks about shutting down networks like CBS, Musk doesn’t say a word. It’s pretty surprising, Cuban said, given how loud Musk usually is about free speech. Cuban was frustrated, saying it’s baffling that someone who claims to care so much about open dialogue suddenly has nothing to say when press freedom is on the line.

The discussion on “Real Time with Bill Maher” highlighted ongoing concerns about political rhetoric and its potential implications for American democracy. As the 2024 election approaches, these issues will likely remain at the forefront of political discourse.