MAGA Mocks Rachel Maddow for on-Air Rebuke of Her MSNBC Bosses

James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics in Texas, as well as other general news across the United States.

James joined Newsweek in July 2022 from LBC, and previously worked for the Daily Express. He is a graduate of Oxford University. Languages: English. Twitter: @JBickertonUK. You can get in touch with James by emailing [email protected]

MSNBC’s star presenter Rachel Maddow has been mocked by conservatives on social media after condemning her network’s decision to cancel Joy Reid’s show ReidOut as “a bad mistake.”

Speaking on air during her Monday show, Maddow noted that two other nonwhite presenters, Ayman Mohyeldin and Katie Phang, also had their shows terminated which she said “feels indefensible.”

Newsweek contacted MSNBC for comment on Tuesday via email outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Of the major networks MSNBC is arguably the most vociferously critical of Donald Trump, giving its editorial decisions a wider influence following the firebrand Republican’s return to the White House on January 20.

After his inauguration Trump signed an executive order to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts funded by the federal government. A number of major companies also announced they are rolling back or canceling outright their DEI programs following Trump’s election victory in November, 2024.

What To Know

On Monday MSNBC announced Reid’s 7 p.m. ET show would be replaced by a new program hosted by anchor Alicia Menendez, ex-RNC chair Michael Steele and former Democratic strategist Symone Sanders Townsend.

Maddow condemned the decision during her 9 p.m. show on Monday. With reference to Reid she said: “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. It is not my call and I understand that, but that’s what I think.”

Maddow went on to note Reid is one of three nonwhite presenters who will be losing their MSNBC shows, commenting: “It is also unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two nonwhite hosts in prime time, both of our nonwhite hosts in prime time are losing their shows as is Katie Phang on the weekend.

Joy Reid and Rachel Maddow “And that feels worse than bad no matter who replaced them. That feels indefensible and I do not defend it.”

A clip of Maddow’s remarks was shared on X by the ‘Acyn’ account, which is affiliated with self-styled “pro-democracy” media outlet Medias News.

On Sunday, Reid addressed her MSNBC show’s cancellation during a Win With Black Women Zoom call, saying she had experienced “every emotion” including “anger, rage, disappointment, hurt” and also “gratitude” for support received since the announcement was made.

A number of prominent conservatives, many supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, posted on X following Maddow’s comments.

What People Are Saying

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson shared a four minute clip of Maddow’s remarks, adding: “Here’s a nice little laugh for you on this wonderful evening. Mark Cuban … I mean Rachel Maddow goes on a cringey 4 minute rant over Joy Reid being fired from MSNBC. Little does she know…. She’s next.”

Gunther Eagleman, a self-styled “MAGA” Trump supporter, also posted the video commenting: “Rachel Maddow just went on a 4-minute unhinged rant against the owner of MSNBC for firing Joy Reid. This is the funniest clip you will see from today.”

This video was shared by the popular ‘Libs of TikTok’ account, run by Chaya Raichik, which added: “Rachel Maddow has a meltdown over Joy Reid being fired.”

Writer and OutKick founder Clay Travis wrote: “Rachel Maddow just called MSNBC racist for firing Joy Reid. On MSNBC. Guys, that place is a total dumpster fire. Trump destroyed them all.”

The ‘amuse’ X account, a self-defined conservative with over 564,000 followers, posted: “MSNBC host Rachel Maddow claims the network is racist for firing Joy Reid.”

However others spoke out in Maddow’s defense including former Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison, who said: “I’ve met a lot of amazing folks in politics, but none quite like Rachel Maddow. Thank you Rachel for continuing to show that doing the right thing and being loyal are still attributes found in this business.”

Another X account, run by a self-styled anti-fascist with 245,000 followers, also posted the video commenting: “This is why I love @maddow so much. She throws her bosses who made the utterly atrocious decision to axe Joy Ann Reid, @alexwagner, and @KatiePhang completely under the bus to support and show solidarity with her colleagues, whom she loves and respects.”

Reid used her final MSNBC show on Monday to warn about what she argued was the threat of fascism to the United States, saying: “We begin tonight with what I think is the question; when you are in the midst of a crisis and specifically a crisis of democracy: How do you resist– when fascism isn’t just coming, It’s already here? So, what, if anything, can you do about it? https://www.foxnews.com/media/joy-reid-warns-msnbc-viewers-fascism-already-here-final-show-liberal-network. The first rule is to fight back, to never stop resisting. Do not obey in advance, as [historian] Tim Snyder put it … Even if it’s scary or uncomfortable or inconvenient, just keep saying no. Or finding creative ways to say no in small ways and large.”

What Happens Next

Reid’s MSNBC show is being replaced by a new one hosted by Menendez, Steele and Sanders Townsend. The network has yet to comment on Maddow’s criticism and it is unclear whether they plan to do so.