Joe Scarborough tells Moreno to read the First Amendment
Joe ScarboroughCo-host of MS NOW's Morning Joe
On Morning Joe, Scarborough responds to a clip of Moreno's remarks by telling him to read the first phrase of the First Amendment, which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
“Just read the first phrase of the First Amendment, the Constitution of the United States First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Original video
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
At a Republican rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 28, 2026, Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim, should be nowhere near Washington. He asked whether El-Sayed understands that "our rights come from God Almighty" and that "Jesus came here for our salvation," and said Republican nominee Mike Rogers would beat him on Tuesday. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on every senator to reaffirm that the Constitution bars religious tests for public office. Interfaith Alliance said Moreno's comments were an attack on Muslims and on all non-Christian Americans. On MS NOW, Joe Scarborough and Steve Benen also cited the Constitution in criticizing the remarks. We did not find a public response from Moreno to the criticism as of November 1, 2026.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
MS NOW's October 29, 2026 Morning Joe segment. It plays Moreno's rally remarks, and co-host Joe Scarborough responds by citing the First Amendment's bar on an establishment of religion.
Reporting
About this source
HuffPost report on Moreno's October 28 remarks at a Republican rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, with his quoted words and Joe Scarborough's on-air response.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Morning Joe plays a clip of Moreno's October 28 rally remarks about El-Sayed, and the hosts say Moreno needed only to read the First Amendment.
After the quotation
The conversation continues on the Constitution's protection for people of every faith, and a panelist later cites Article VI's ban on religious tests for office.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, Scarborough answers it with the First Amendment's bar on an establishment of religion, an objection to tying Senate service to Christian belief.
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- Bernie Moreno
More from this case
Read the full caseSteve Benen calls the idea of disqualifying non-Christians from Congress plainly insane
“the idea that they should be disqualified from congressional service because of their beliefs is plainly insane.”Read statement
CAIR, in a statement by Robert McCaw, cites the Constitution's ban on religious tests in response to Moreno's remarks
Council on American-Islamic Relations
“Article VI of the Constitution is unequivocal: there is no religious test for public office. Imposing sectarian litmus tests to disqualify candidates based on their faith is a direct assault on the pluralistic values and constitutional guardrails that define our democratic republic.”Read statement
Interfaith Alliance, in a statement by Paul Raushenbush, says Moreno's comments attack Muslims and all non-Christian Americans
Interfaith Alliance
“The US Constitution explicitly bars religious tests for public office. Sen. Moreno swore an oath to uphold that US Constitution, but clearly he has not read it - or does not agree with it. The naked Christian nationalism of his comments last night represent an attack on Muslims and on all non-Christian Americans.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Joe Scarborough tells Moreno to read the First Amendment". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/7633-on-morning-joe-scarborough-responds-to-a-clip