Joe Scarborough responded Thursday to the arrest of a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard, who is accused of plotting a mass domestic terror attack, by laying the blame on President Donald Trump and his vitriolic rhetoric.
The co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" ― himself reportedly on a list of Democratic lawmakers and media figures researched by white supremacist Christopher Paul Hasson ― chastised Trump for using "Stalinist phrases like 'enemies of the people' that only tyrants have used in the past."
It was in reference to Trump calling the New York Times "a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE" on Twitter Wednesday morning, following its report detailing his purported "two-year war on the investigations encircling him."
"He writes that in the morning and in the afternoon we have this conspiracy to actually kill top Democratic lawmakers who oppose Donald Trump and journalists who dare to report the truth about Donald Trump," said Scarborough.
RELATED: Joe Scarborough and Mike Brzezinski of "Morning Joe" together
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Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of 'Morning Joe' together
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LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS -- Episode 509 -- Pictured: (l-r) Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski during an interview with host Seth Meyers on March 28, 2017 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough attend Silver Hill Hospital 2016 Giving Hope Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 25: Television hosts Joe Scarborough (L) and Mika Brzezinski attend 'The Americans' Season 5 Premiere at DGA Theater on February 25, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic)
LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS -- Episode 203 -- Pictured: (l-r) Hosts of Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski during an interview with host Seth Meyers on May 7, 2015 -- (Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough host the Silver Hill Hospital 2016 Giving Hope Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: Ami Kaplan, Tina Brown, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Cathie Black and guests attend the 5th Annual Elly Awards hosted by the Women's Forum of New York honoring Tina Brown & Emily Rafferty at The Plaza Hotel - 5th Avenue on June 22, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for the Elly Awards)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 02: Televsion hosts Mika Brzezinski (L) and Joe Scarborough attend the Accessories Council 20th Anniversary celebration of the ACE awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on August 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Accessories Council)
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski arrive at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) annual dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2015. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: (L-R) George Stephanopoulos, Alexandra Wentworth, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski attend the Yahoo News/ABC News White House Correspondents' dinner reception pre-party at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Yahoo)
RED NOSE DAY -- Season: 2015 -- Pictured: (l-r) Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski -- (Photo by: Gavin Bond/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 25: Television journalists Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski attend the 101st Annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kris Connor/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: TV personalities Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC attend the 2014 National Magazine Awards at The New York Marriott Marquis on May 1, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/WireImage)
TODAY -- Pictured: (l-r) Al Roker, Willie Geist, Dwain Schenk, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough appear on NBC News' 'Today' show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
TODAY -- Pictured: (l-r) Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski appear on NBC News' 'Today' show -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 02: TV personalities Joe Scarborough (L) and Mika Brzezinski attend the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 12: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski attend the 'The Right Path: From Ike To Reagan, How Republicans Once Mastered Politics - And Can Again' book event on November 12, 2013 in New York, United States. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: Mika Brzezinski (R) and Joe Scarborough, host of Morning Joe on MSNBC promote her new book 'Obsessed: The Fight Against America's (and My Own) Food Addiction' at Barnes and Noble Union Square on May 13, 2013 in New York, United States. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Host, MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' Joe Scarborough and Co-host, MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' Mika Brzezinski attend the New York Women In Communications 2013 Matrix Awards on April 22, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for New York Women In Communications)
UNITED STATES - AUGUST 29: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, co-hosts of Morning Joe, hang out on floor of the Republican National Convention in the Tampa Bay Times Forum on the day Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., republican vice-presidential nominee, will address the crowd. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
NBC NEWS - EVENTS -- NBCUniversal News Group Upfront -- Pictured: (l-r) Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski -- (Photo by: Francine Daveta/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: (L-R) Roger Ailes, President of Fox News Channel, Elizabeth Tilson Ailes, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski attend the Hollywood Reporter celebration of 'The 35 Most Powerful People in Media' at the Four Season Grill Room on April 11, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 08: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski arrive for 'The Late Show with David Letterman' at Ed Sullivan Theater on May 8, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 11: 'Morning Joe' co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough attend the Hollywood Reporter celebrates 'The 35 Most Powerful People in Media' at the Four Season Grill Room on April 11, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic)
