Joe Scarborough Remembers Late Mom Mary Jo in Mother’s Day Tribute: ‘I Am So Grateful’

Joe Scarborough remembered his late mom, Mary Jo Scarborough, in a Mother’s Day tribute shared on Instagram on May 12.

“Mom, I’ve always believed anything was possible because you made me believe I could do anything I tried,” he captioned a photo of his mother. “That belief, and the faith in God you passed to your children, has made all the difference. Despite all my flaws and failures, I still hear you telling me to get up and do better. I am so grateful.”

Mary Jo died in March 2019 at 86 after suffering from dementia for seven years. The political commentator honored his mom two months after her death during a segment with wife Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe.

“There was sort of this two-step process where she believed in me and told me from the very beginning I could do whatever I wanted to do,” he recalled on the program in May 2019. “If I wanted to be president of the United States … a DJ … and all-star shortstop. She got me believing that and it made a huge difference in my life.”

“But, there were no participation trophies with my mom. Mary Jo believed those to whom much was given, much was expected,” he continued.

Joe shared a childhood memory when he struck out while playing a game with his baseball team, leading him to march off the field in anger.

“Her crisp response was, ‘Well, if you can’t do any better than that, and if you’re going to keep embarrassing yourself and your family, then maybe you should quit today.’ Knowing that I would sit in the back and go, ‘Uhhh, all right, so much for quitting,'" he recalled his mom saying during the ride home.

While speaking with a friend who was a psychiatrist years later, Joe realized how much his mother’s comment actually affected him.

“I said, ‘Yes, it did! I didn’t strike out as much after that!’” the MSNBC host shared. “So the thing was, yes, you can do great things. But she also said, be tougher on yourself. Because you do have abilities.”

Joe inherited his love for music from his mom, and they were able to sing together for a final time before her death.

“In her final moments, you sang together and she remembered every word, and it was beautiful to see,” Mika, 57, said. “As the daughter of a mother, I can say thank you. And we also can say we love you, Mary Jo.”