The tweets were condemned across the political spectrum, with Republicans including Paul Ryan, speaker of the house, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush expressing dismay at the “undignified, unpresidential” message. Ben Sasse, senator for Nebraska, simply said: “Please stop.”

On Friday morning the co-hosts returned to the show – despite originally planning to be on holiday – to deliver their verdict.

Brzezinski said that she was not affected personally - noting that the recent death of her father, former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, and her daughter's loss of a friend were real issues that worried her.

But she worried for the country. "He appears to have a fragile, childlike, impetuous temper," she said. "It is unbelievably alarming that this president is so easily played. By a cable news host. What is that saying to our allies?"