This is the Dec. 29 edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.
America is strong.
We stand up to punks who beat up immigrants, break the law and use their power to attack constitutional norms.
Republicans inside the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court allowed Americans to be stopped, questioned and detained by Feds simply because of their race, their accents or their places of work.
That’s sick.
And that the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration’s racist guidelines to stay on the books for three months is unforgivable.
It is also un-American.
Ronald Reagan would not recognize the sorry state of his Republican Party.
The Supreme Court finally curbed Donald Trump’s militarization of American cities, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh finally reversed his view of racial profiling by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, writing that “officers must not make interior immigration stops or arrests based on race or ethnicity.”
It’s about time.
America’s moral standing and soft power took a beating worldwide this year. But at home, resistance is growing.
Lower-court judges keep pushing back against the gross abuses targeted at Hispanics by Republican officials.
Lower courts have also ruled against Trump’s illegal use of military troops for domestic law enforcement.
And many federal judges have held the constitutional line against a president who thinks he’s Napoleon and a Supreme Court that spent most of 2025 behaving like a jurisprudential Pontius Pilate — obsessively washing its hands of rulings that might upset Donald Trump.
Americans have taken to the streets to defend Hispanics, citizens have flooded voting booths to elect Democrats, and a few Republicans have even begun standing against the president’s worst instincts.
Jonathan Lemire writes that after a brutally efficient start to 2025, Trump’s White House is now stumbling into the new year.
As we all move into 2026, the country will prepare for an election whose stakes are all too obvious.
The new year should be spent pushing the United States toward that more perfect union promised by our Constitution. And we will move forward by continuing to peacefully resist those malignant forces that seek to make us weaker, less unified, less diverse and less free.
They will not prevail.
“We told the truth, we obeyed the law, and we kept the peace.”
— Jimmy Carter, summarizing his presidency as it came to an end
MAILBAG
Thank you again to all our readers who wrote in last week. As always, you’re welcome to write to us anytime.
I’ve read articles lately about America and its “de-churching,” which makes me very sad. Having grown up in the Catholic church, living seven years in an order of sisters, being influenced by Pope John XXIII/Vatican Council II, Pope Francis and now Leo, I am determined to keep the Gospel ever before me. Do you think people will ever come back to working for the oppressed, the various issues we now face? — MaryAnn L., Amsterdam, N.Y.
When I began my time in Congress in 1994, most young workers of faith in conservative circles wanted to focus on two or three social issues that defined their political views. By the time I left in 2001, many young Christian advocates were focused more on extreme poverty, the AIDS epidemic in Africa and a view of the Christian faith that Jesus defined in Matthew 25:31-46.
Like you, I am distressed by the de-churching in America, and as an evangelical, I’m heartbroken by the path too many political churches have taken over the past decade. The cruelty shown toward immigrants is the complete rejection of Jesus‘ teachings in the New Testament. As Pope Leo XIV suggested earlier this year, it’s hard to support America’s brutal policy toward migrants in 2025 while calling yourself a pro-life Christian.
And that’s just the start of so many issues that have driven political churches away from the teachings of Christ and have kept parishioners away from those church pews.
Because much of my childhood was spent in the church, I understand both the religious and societal importance of people being embraced by a faith community. Not only does that family of faith provide comfort through tough times, community also serves as an antidote to the type of isolation overtaking too many young Americans — and breeding political extremism in young men.
I am hopeful that recent trends showing younger Americans moving back toward regular church attendance will continue. Not only for the sake of their faith, but also for the strength of our country.
My wife is from Liverpool, and we have watched “Morning Joe” since it replaced “Imus in the Morning.” I have two questions … (1) How many guitars do you have in your collection? and (2) which guitarist do you like listening to? My favourite is Mark Knopfler … — Lennox A., Gainesville, Fla.
Thanks so much for your question. You can tell your wife that it was four guys from Liverpool who inspired me to buy my first of many guitars.
I’ve been playing for more than four decades, so I picked up a few guitars along the way. I’m down to a dozen now because I recently donated several to local schools.
I still record in the studio, but truth be told, I could probably do everything I need in there with the first telecaster I bought in 1983 and an old Fender Jazz Bass I picked up a few years ago.
My favorite guitarist will make sense to few purists. But I love the simplicity, urgency and rage that inspires some of Neil Young’s greatest one-note solos.
“Down by the River” remains a favorite. Again, it will make no sense to rock aficionados who, like me, are awed by Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. But for me, it’s still Neil.
AI is going to require lots of data. What are the “experts” telling us, or have they thought about: Who/How is the data integrity being maintained? — Gerhard Z., St. Paul, Minn.
There are no “experts” moderating the chaos that swirls around the artificial intelligence gold rush. Most tech giants are claiming omnipotence, while intimidating lawmakers who seek to moderate and manage the dangerous forces that lurk around the dark technological forces that seek to shape our lives.
Americans are rightly skeptical. Very few trust tech companies to manage the fallout that is sure to come from the disruptive technological force that will alter our lives.
Developing reasonable AI policies needs to be a bipartisan goal in the months and years ahead. But I fear time is running short to make meaningful changes that could blunt the worst effects of the AI revolution.
NOTES THAT STUCK WITH US…
The Tea just keeps getting better and better as the days go by. This Christmas Eve issue was beautiful! Your thoughts and suggestions on how to look forward in hope are exemplary and reassuring! Thank you very much! Please continue! — Anonymous Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for yardage during the team’s game against the Buffalo Bills. The Eagles won, 13-12, after Bills quarterback Josh Allen missed an open receiver at game’s end. As we get ready to ring in the new year, the “Morning Joe” family would like to know: Do you have a 2026 resolution? Share with us, and we’ll feature a few in an upcoming holiday edition!
Former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla., is co-host of MS NOW's "Morning Joe" alongside Mika Brzezinski — a show that Time magazine calls "revolutionary." In addition to his career in television, Joe is a two-time New York Times best-selling author. His most recent book is "The Right Path: From Ike to Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics — and Can Again."
Your Christmas Eve post is excellent and full of hope, one we need. I hope you realize so many Canadians follow you, north of the border. Thank you for my morning must-watch. — Carolan L., St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Recommended
Your Christmas message is wonderful — a classic. I’ve sent it along to my adult children. Thank you for a thoughtful and meaningful message … Wishing everyone at “Morning Joe” and their Loved Ones a peaceful, very happy and prosperous New Year! — Mike G., Madison, Miss.
Just wanted to let Mika know I just received “Know Your Value” from a friend. It’s a great book! And even though I’ve been retired since 2022, I will treasure your advice! Love to you, Joe and the whole “Morning Joe” staff. — Marie C., Riverdale, N.J.ONE LAST SHOT
A look back at some of our favorite “Morning Joe” feature discussions from this year …
SPILL IT!
