Rachel Maddow Slams Her Own Network’s Latest Move As ‘Indefensible’ On Live TV
Rachel Maddow took a rare swipe at her own network, condemning MSNBC’s programming shakeup and standing firmly by Joy Reid.
Rachel Maddow isn’t holding back when it comes to MSNBC’s recent lineup overhaul, and many viewers are right there with her. The longtime host took a moment during her Monday night show to sharply criticize the network’s decision to part ways with Joy Reid, canceling her show The ReidOut, along with other programs led by women of color.
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Calling the decision “indefensible” and a “bad mistake,” Maddow made it clear that she doesn’t agree with MSNBC’s leadership. “There has been no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” she told viewers. “I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her. I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”
The shakeup comes under the leadership of new MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler, with the network replacing Reid’s 7 p.m. ET slot with a panel program hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez. Meanwhile, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is stepping in for Alex Wagner’s 9 p.m. ET slot Tuesday through Friday.
While Maddow made it clear that she supports the talent taking over the network’s primetime lineup, she didn’t shy away from pointing out a glaring truth: “On a network where we’ve got two—count them, two—nonwhite hosts in primetime, both of our nonwhite hosts in primetime are losing their shows, as is Katie Phang on the weekend. And that feels worse than before, no matter who replaces them. That feels indefensible. And I do not defend it.”
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Maddow also raised concerns about the impact on the network’s production staff, pointing out that “dozens of producers and staffers—including some who are among the most experienced and most specialist producers in the building—are facing being laid off.” She noted that they are being asked to reapply for their jobs, a move she called “inefficient” and “unnecessary.”
This isn’t the first time Maddow has called out her own network. Just last year, she slammed MSNBC’s brass for briefly hiring former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, calling the move “inexplicable.” The backlash from on-air talent led to the network reversing course and dropping McDaniel.
As MSNBC moves forward with its reshuffled lineup, the network’s most prominent host has made it abundantly clear where she stands—and so have the fans. Here’s what folks are saying about Rachel’s mic drop moment:
