A segment on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in which co-host Mika Brzezinski said President Donald Trump was "destroying the country" might have been what led Trump to attack her viciously on Twitter on Thursday morning.
The segment took aim at a fake Time magazine cover featuring Trump that reportedly hangs at a number of Trump's golf clubs and properties, according to The Washington Post.
"Nothing makes a man feel better than making a fake cover of a magazine about himself, lying every day, and destroying the country," Brzezinski said.
Brzezinski also noted that on the fake Time cover, Trump was covering his hands "because they're teensy."
Washington Post
Fake Time magazine cover.
The segment aired at 8:11 a.m. ET. At 8:19 a.m. ET, Dan Scavino, Trump's social media director, tweeted "#DumbAsARockMika and lover #JealousJoe are lost, confused & saddened since @POTUS @realDonaldTrump stopped returning their calls! Unhinged."
Then, roughly 30 minutes later, Trump chimed in.
"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore)," Trump tweeted. "Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe [Scarborough,] came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"
Photos from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who was at Mar-a-Lago for New Year's Eve events, showed that Brzezinski, along with her co-host and soon-to-be husband Joe Scarborough, were hanging out with Trump at the event. Haberman spotted the three chatting among a crowd.
Brzezinski responded with a tweet of her own, again pointing to the size of Trump's hands. She posted a photo of a box of Cheerios with the words "Made For Little Hands" on it. For years, Trump has taken issue with individuals commenting on the supposed small size of his hands and fingers.
Trump has had a contentious relationship with the MSNBC hosts. Before he ran for president, Brzezinski and Scarborough were friendly with Trump, and they were initially receptive to his candidacy. But they have since pivoted to criticizing him heavily on-air. In turn, Trump has both praised the pair and ripped them on social media at various times since announcing his candidacy in 2015.
An MSNBC spokesperson told Business Insider that "it's a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job."
Watch the segments:
.@morningmika: "Nothing makes a man feel better than making a fake cover of a mag about himself, lying every day and destroying the country" pic.twitter.com/r30Acu5y2P
- Tom Namako (@TomNamako) June 29, 2017
.@morningmika: "he's covering his hands here [on the fake Time mag cover] because they're teensy."
- Tom Namako (@TomNamako) June 29, 2017
More:https://t.co/YJ5WBO6DlJ
3/3 pic.twitter.com/88svCDoj2W