This is the Oct. 6, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

Hello, “Morning Joe” Family!

We love hearing from you. Here’s what was on your mind this week. As always, you can write to us any time.

Joe, the Trump administration has long reminded me of “The Lion King,” with Trump playing Scar, the disinterested tyrant driven by revenge and self-aggrandizement. The Republicans are pitch-perfect as the mindless hyenas who bend the knee to the tyrant’s every whim, and the diminished Pride Rock reflects our country’s state of decline under Trump. Can you foresee a Simba on the horizon, coming to save us?

— Gary B.

What a great reference from popular culture. My children and I have seen “The Lion King” countless times, and I am always entertained and moved.

There have been many times in my life when I have fallen short of my goals and have not been the person I wanted to be. In those moments, I imagine hearing my grandmother’s voice repeating the words of Mufasa, telling me that I am more than what I have become.

The challenge to be more than we are applies to us personally and to America. 

We are members of a republic that is so much more than what it has become. That hero on the horizon will not be a political superstar coming out of the wilderness. That hero is you.

We must demand more of our leaders, of our country, and of ourselves.

My favorite Carl Sandburg quote envisions an America “in the crimson light of a rising sun, fresh from the burning, creative hand of God.”

One of the many things Donald Trump says that I find maddening is his repeated claim that he alone can fix our country’s problems. 

What nonsense. 

In America, it is the people and not the politicians who make this country great. The secret of our success rests in the hearts of Americans, not in the halls of Congress or in the Oval Office or grand ballrooms. It is our task, our mission, our patriotic duty to return this country to the work of forming a more perfect union. 

Let’s start moving down that path this election.

When Trump is threatening to send troops/ICE to Chicago and other “blue” cities, does he think about the effect images like Kent State would have on future elections? I know he doesn’t really care, but how far are Republicans willing to go along with him?

— Anonymous

You are right. The president does not care if he creates images like Kent State. Why? Because he sees violence perpetrated in his name as a sign of strength. 

When candidate Trump said he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and his fans would still support him, he was paying himself the highest compliment he believed could be bestowed on any politician. That’s why Jan. 6 and its aftermath should not surprise us — as shocking as they were. That is also why we must remain vigilant going into this year’s election and throughout the last two years of Trump’s term.

Joe, I am a volunteer with SemDems (Seminole County Democrats) and they welcome input from volunteers about organizing and strategy. What do you recommend as a fellow Floridian to best use our resources and focus? Thank you! 

— Amy S.

Thanks for your question, Amy!

When I first ran for Congress, I was 29 years old and I knew absolutely nobody in politics. As a newcomer with no money to fund my campaign, the only thing I knew to do was to knock on doors and plant yard signs where I made converts.

In the final weeks of the campaign, my volunteers went down voter lists and called people throughout the day. We had a remarkable turnout on Election Day and took an election that I was supposed to lose and won in a landslide.

All that came down to basic grassroots work: knocking on doors, shaking hands, putting up yard signs, making get-out-the-vote calls, and even driving people to the polls.

That was the best way to win elections then, and it is the best way to win elections now. 

Good luck, and thank you for volunteering for such an important cause!

Mika, what piece of advice do you believe your father would provide to a Democrat seeking the presidency in 2028 regarding their position(s) on defense and/or foreign policy?

— Tom P.

MB: My father spent his entire life pushing back on Soviet aggression. That is because he and his family were profoundly impacted by the Nazi and Soviet invasion of their country in 1939, and Stalin’s occupation of Poland starting in 1945. 

Predicting what he would say about Russian tyranny and Ukrainian freedom fighters is not much of a stretch. His books written during the Cold War remain as relevant as ever in explaining the motivations of the former KGB agent now running Russia.

I am confident my father would be just as offended by Trump’s abandonment of Ukraine as I am.

Regarding Iran, Dad would have strongly warned Trump against invading the country. 

There are several clips of him telling interviewers like Charlie Rose that an invasion of Iran would be disastrous. Not because they would ultimately defeat us in war, but because they would close the Strait of Hormuz and an invasion would be like “setting the world’s economy on fire.” 

Now that we find ourselves there, I suspect he would be looking for the best negotiated deal possible, even if that meant continuing to apply economic pressure on the Iranian regime for a few more months.

His position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also easy to project based on his lifetime of work at Camp David and beyond. He believed that Israel had a right to exist, alongside a Palestinian state that had the right to be governed independently by its own people.

Dad was one of the few major foreign policy leaders in Washington who aggressively pushed for Palestinian statehood and for holding Israel to account for its illegal settlements on the West Bank and its mistreatment of Palestinians.

Those positions were almost always out of step with official Washington throughout his lifetime. But not anymore. 

I’m sure he would look at the terrible conditions across Gaza and the West Bank and be horrified. He would also be actively calling for the United States government to apply pressure on Israel to stop settlers’ terrorist violence against West Bank Palestinians, while working through analytical constructs to move both sides toward that elusive two-state solution.

Guys how about some Brewer love? C’mon, the Miz … throwing 103+ mph fire! Turang! Chourio!

— Patrick T.

You are so right! The Brewers have had an incredible season, swept the Cubs, and have once again proven that you can build a great baseball team without busting your budget. Good luck with San Diego — and beyond!

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