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MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced they recently held a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, marking their first encounter in seven years.

Opening Monday’s show, Brzezinski acknowledged their history of criticism towards Trump while emphasizing the need to bridge political divides. “Five years of political warfare has deeply divided Washington and the country. We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump’s actions and words in the coarsening of public debate,” she said.

She continued, noting that for millions of Americans, certain controversies weren’t decisive factors in their support for Trump. “But for nearly 80 million Americans, election denialism, public trials, January 6th, were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote.”

During the private meeting, they discussed contentious topics including abortion rights, immigration policies, and concerns about political retaliation. While maintaining their differences, both hosts emphasized the importance of reestablishing communication channels with Trump.

Brzezinski described Trump as optimistic during their interaction, suggesting he showed interest in finding middle ground with Democrats on controversial issues. Scarborough shared insights from sources indicating Trump’s approach might differ in a second term, given term limit constraints.

Addressing potential criticism, Scarborough clarified their position: “Don’t be mistaken, we are not here to defend or normalize Donald Trump. We are here to report on him and to hopefully provide you insights that are going to better equip all of us in understanding these deeply unsettling times.”