MSNBC is leaning on former Joe Biden administration officials amid a programming overhaul at the liberal-leaning network.
Jen Psaki, who was Biden’s White House press secretary, and Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former spokesperson and top adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris, will be moving to prime-time slots at the network. Sanders-Townsend will be one of a trio of hosts taking over the time slot vacated by the cancellation of Joy Reid’s show.
MSNBC has been contacted for comment via email.
Jen Psaki speaks onstage at 92NY on May 08, 2024 in New York City. Jen Psaki speaks onstage at 92NY on May 08, 2024 in New York City. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Why It Matters
MSBNC appears to be seeking to capitalize on a ratings boost at the network since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20.
The network has bounced back after seeing a sharp ratings decline after Trump won November’s election. MSNBC averaged 1.3 million prime-time viewers between January 20 and 24, up 61 percent from the weekday average from the prior three weeks, according to Nielsen ratings data.
What To Know
Psaki, who hosted the network’s most watched weekend program Inside With Jen Psaki, will reportedly be anchoring a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,
Rachel Maddow, who has been anchoring that time slot since Trump returned to office, will return to hosting a show one night a week at the end of April, according to The New York Times.
MSNBC this week confirmed it has canceled The ReidOut.
Reid’s program, which aired at 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, has been a fixture of the network’s evening programming since 2020, and she became known for routinely criticizing President Donald Trump and Republicans.
The ReidOut will be replaced by a program hosted by Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Alicia Menendez, Newsweek reported on Monday. The trio currently host The Weekend, which airs at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
What People Are Saying
Rachel Maddow criticized the changes at MSNBC during Monday’s episode of her show, saying that Reid’s exit is a “bad mistake” by the network.
She said: “I will tell you, it is also unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two—count them, two—non-white hosts in prime time, both of our non-white hosts in prime time are losing their shows, as is Katie Phang on the weekend, and that feels worse than bad no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible. And I do not defend it.”
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said in a statement to The Associated Press: “Joy Reid is leaving the network and we thank her for her countless contributions over the years.”
Joy Reid wrote on Bluesky on Monday: “I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets. So very proud of The Reidout @joy.msnbc.com team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends. See you tomorrow night at 7, one more time.”
Trump celebrated Reid’s departure in a Truth Social post, writing that she “should have been ‘canned’ a long time ago.”
He added: “This whole corrupt operation is nothing more than an illegal arm of the Democrat Party. They should be forced to pay vast sums of money for the damage they’ve done to our Country. Fake News is an UNPARDONABLE SIN!”
What’s Next
Rotating anchors will host during Joy Reid’s time slot in the coming weeks, Kutler told the AP, before the new panel program hosted by Sanders-Townsend, Steele and Menendez begins.
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