MSNBC “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough delivered a lengthy monologue Thursday in which he advised President Donald Trump’s 2020 Democratic opponents to roll up their sleeves and “go after him” if they want to win the presidency.

Scarborough called on the Democrats to do what it takes to win, suggesting his opponents fight to turn Trump’s political bones to “dust” and then “spit on it” unless they want four more years with him in the White House.

Partial transcript as follows:

It is so frustrating. John. The only way to defeat Donald Trump and I’ve said this for years, you’ve got to get in his face. You’ve got to smother him politically. It’s got to be like a Dean Smith, like fullcourt UNC press where they can’t even pass the ball inbounds without three great athletes around them at all times.

But Marco, all the people — Ted Cruz, none of them knew how to fight. I mean, think about Ted Cruz. This man insulted Ted Cruz’s wife, said she was ugly and said his father killed JFK. Now, if somebody did that to me, they would not be there. They would not have been elected president of the United States because I would have spent every waking second figuring out how to destroy their political career and I would have done it. That would have been my mind set. That’s all I would have thought about. I would have been driven by it. Take Jeb Bush. Donald Trump insults Jeb Bush, retweets a slur against Jeb Bush’s wife. Jeb Bush said you should apologize for that. Donald Trump said, “I’m not going to apologize for that.” Jeb Bush says nothing else. No, no, no. Everything stops right there and you turn to Donald Trump and say, “Here’s the deal, Donald. I may not win, but neither are you because I’m going to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week working, focusing, not going to sleep until I figure out how to turn your political bones to dust, and when I turn it to dust, at that point I’m going to spit on it. And then I’m going to sweep it off the stage and make sure nobody remembers you for anything other than being the mean clown that you are.”

Again, I’m sorry to scare children this morning. But I’m talking about a mindset. And by the way, I’m dead serious, Democrats running for president of the United States. I’m dead serious, Democrats running the House of Representatives. If you want to stop Donald Trump, it is time to stop fighting by Marquess of Queensbury rules. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and go after him and do it takes to win. If you don’t do that … you’ll have Donald Trump for four more years.

