This is the Feb. 10, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox every Monday through Friday.
There are defining moments of campaigns that ripple through politics and popular culture alike.
When Ronald Reagan angrily grabbed the microphone during a 1980 debate in Nashua, New Hampshire, political observers say the future president altered the course of history.
Within a year, he had clinched the GOP nomination and launched the Reagan Revolution.
When Walter Cronkite publicly turned against the Vietnam War in a “CBS Evening News” broadcast, it marked another pivotal moment, reshaping both the conflict’s trajectory and the role of American media.
This past weekend may be remembered in the same way.
The combination of Donald Trump’s racist post and the right-wing meltdown over the world’s most popular recording artist performing on the Super Bowl stage could stand as a turning point for the MAGA movement and American politics at large.
No one can yet say how far Washington politicians or rank-and-file Republicans will contort themselves to justify the president’s devolving behavior. But one thing is certain: All convenient fictions created by the political class and mainstream media to explain Trump’s political appeal have been obliterated.
If you still support a politician who depicts a Black man and his wife as apes — and refuses to apologize — you’re not dog whistling. You’re boldly declaring your bigotry.
And if you feign confusion or outrage that the most powerful cultural institution in America selected the biggest musical star on the planet to sing on its grandest stage, then drop the pretense.
Just admit you think the Super Bowl halftime show should feature only white performers, or musical acts that don’t challenge your sense of racial supremacy in American life.
The jig is up. You’re exposed — again. And the fallout from your confession will shape American politics for a long time to come.
“I refuse to passively stand by.”
— Pop superstar Chappell Roan, on dropping her talent agency after its founder, Casey Wasserman, is named in the Epstein files
Source: Gallup
CRYPTO CORRUPTION EXPOSED BY JOURNAL
The Wall Street Journal continues to document the Trump family’s expanding — and highly profitable — cryptocurrency business.
The paper reports that Trump’s two oldest sons partnered with the son of Steve Witkoff, the president’s Middle East envoy, late in the summer of 2024 to launch a crypto venture called World Liberty Financial.
According to the Journal, the company also received a $500 million investment from a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family the week before Trump was inaugurated.
Since the launch, the Journal reports, the venture has generated at least $1.2 billion in cash for the Trump family over roughly 16 months, along with more than $2 billion in paper gains. The Witkoff family has reportedly earned about $200 million.
A CONVERSATION WITH JACK SCHLOSSBERG
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, is running to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District, a slice of Manhattan that includes Penn Station and the long-stalled Gateway tunnel project.
Schlossberg joined “Morning Joe” to talk about infrastructure funding, his sharp break with his uncle, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert. F. Kennedy Jr., and why he believes it’s time for a new generation in Congress.
MB: Jack, before we get to the campaign, we want to say how deeply moved we were by your sister Tatiana’s life and legacy.
JS: Her story — and the message she shared with the world – resonated with all of us.
Schlossberg: Thank you. I love her so much, and she taught me a lot.
JS: Jack, on Penn Station and the Gateway project, there’s been talk of politics holding it up. How serious is that?
Schlossberg: We have to get that funding. The Gateway project is a critical infrastructure project — the corridor supports about 20% of the country’s GDP — and the president is playing politics. If it’s good for New York, the president’s against it. We need to win back the House so Democrats can fight for these funding projects and deliver for N.Y.-12.
JS: Affordability is a major concern for a lot of voters. What would you do about it in Congress?
Schlossberg: Affordability is the top concern I hear. I’ve put forward a plan called the standard renter’s deduction, which would allow renters to deduct a portion of their rent from their federal income taxes, just like mortgage interest. I’ve also proposed plans to lower the cost of food and clothing.
JS: Public safety also matters to a lot of families in your district. What does that look like on the ground?
Schlossberg: With the rise of antisemitism here in New York and around the world, I’ve proposed doubling funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program so houses of worship can invest in security upgrades.
WG: You have a law degree and an MBA. You could be doing a lot of things. Why run now?
Schlossberg: This is where I was born and raised — my family has lived here for five generations. America is turning 250 years old, and I believe we’re at a crossroads. People used to believe the federal government was competent — that’s how we sent a man to the moon and defeated fascism.
Today, Republicans win when nobody believes in anything. I’m running because I still believe politics is a noble profession and that our future can be better than this moment.
Barnicle: You’ve been outspoken about your cousin, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and vaccines. Why?
Schlossberg: He’s a dangerous person who’s in charge of life-and-death decisions. It’s all fun when you’re designing a new food pyramid, but when people are dying of measles, this is serious business. They rescinded the recommendation for newborns to get the hepatitis B vaccine — why? I want Democrats to win back the House so we can subpoena and find out who is paying for the words coming out of his mouth, because they’re not backed by science.
JL: You’ve been endorsed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Would you support aggressive oversight of the president?
Schlossberg: Absolutely. We’ve seen criminal behavior and corruption on an unprecedented level. If Democrats don’t win back the House and investigate those crimes, they’ll go unanswered — and we cannot let that be the standard. Speaker Pelosi is a hero of mine. She has great political instincts and believes we can win. And so do I.
JS: When you talk to voters, what’s driving their frustration right now?
Schlossberg: People are struggling to afford housing, health care, education, and child care — but they’re also sick and tired of this president.
They want a new generation in Congress that knows how to fight and win, because this is our last chance to stop Trump.
This conversation has been condensed and edited for brevity and clarity.
ON THIS DATE
On Feb. 10, 1964, the United States House of Representatives passed the Civil Rights Act after 70 days of debate. Five months later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would accept one of the pens used by President Lyndon Johnson to sign the legislation into law.
DR. OZ TO AMERICANS: GET THE VACCINE
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
As measles spreads across the United States, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administration’s top Medicare official, has a blunt prescription: Get vaccinated.
“Take the vaccine, please,” Oz said on CNN this weekend, urging Americans not to hesitate to act against a disease long thought to be under control.
The warning comes as South Carolina reports more than 900 cases since the fall, already surpassing last year’s outbreak in Texas — and as the country’s 25-year run of measles elimination is now suddenly in jeopardy. Oz also defended his boss, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting that Kennedy urged vaccination during the Texas outbreak — despite previously expressing skepticism and then later saying he shouldn’t be a source of medical advice.
ONE MORE SHOT
Here’s a composite shot of the women’s freestyle slopestyle qualification yesterday at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno, Italy.
ON THE RADAR
In the coming days, actors Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth will join us to discuss their new film “Crime 101.”
Stay tuned for more!
CATCH UP ON MORNING JOE
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."