MSNBC host Joe Scarborough claimed on Wednesday that anyone who truly believed in “American capitalism” should be worried that former President Donald Trump would bring about an “imperial presidency” if re-elected in November.

Scarborough, a former Republican, briefly leaned into his conservative background and claimed that Trump posed a greater risk to the concept of “smaller government” — and therefore a greater risk to the free market and capitalism — than his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

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MSNBC's @JoeNBC: "If you are a capitalist, if you believe in American capitalism," you must support @KamalaHarris pic.twitter.com/fqKK7R7GgJ

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 4, 2024

“This argument that was made yesterday by an economic reporter: ‘Don’t worry about the insurrection, worry instead about tax code,’ and I think regulations,” Scarborough began. “Really that underlines about that I’ve made on this show before and I’m going to make again. If you are a capitalist, if you believe in American capitalism, as I believe in American capitalism, unapologetically believe in American capitalism. It has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic system ever. It has its problems, the sharp edges always need to be rounded off where it doesn’t get in the way of competition and the free markets. But if you believe in American capitalism, you should be worried about Donald Trump being elected.”

Scarborough went on to explain that he believed in smaller government and argued that Trump — who spent much of his first term in the Oval Office cutting regulations and reducing government power over individuals — would necessarily bring about a more oppressive “imperial presidency” if he were to be elected again.