Next MSNBC President Must Fix The Clown Show

MSNBC president Rashida Jones stepped down from her position on Tuesday, she announced to the staff.

Her decision comes less than a week before Donald Trump's return to the White House/ Rebecca Kutler, who oversaw the dud that was CNN+, is set to serve as the network's interim president.

Jones' departure adds further uncertainty to the future of MSNBC. The channel has limped into 2025 after losing more than half of its total day and primetime viewership since the results of the 2024 presidential election in November. Parent company Comcast has since announced plans to spin off MSNBC and several of its other cable channels, likely decreasing the budget for the news operation.

Further, MSNBC is not nearly the juggernaut it was when Trump took office in 2017. In 2024, the highest-rated MSNBC program ranked only 13th in cable news (Fox News accounted for each of the top 12 spots) as "Deadline: White House" averaged just 1.53 million viewers.

The channel hopes to mend its struggles with an announcement this week that Rachel Maddow will return to hosting her 9 p.m. primetime program Monday through Friday for Trump's first 100 days in office. We are skeptical.

Maddow is certainly still MSNBC's biggest draw. However, she found stardom within the liberal media as the chief propagandist of the Russia hoax from 2017 to 2019. Therefore, unless she finds another big lie to promulgate, her return likely won't be nearly enough to fix the issues that ail the brand today.

Plus, what's the plan for day 101? The network's goofy bench has proven it is not it, including Biden's former press secretary Jen Psaki.

OutKick Graphics.

The next president of MSNBC will also have to decide whether to maintain the current editorial standards established under Jones. 

Political views aside, Joy Reid is the most radical pundit in cable news today. Her rhetoric is incendiary and racist by definition. Her latest bit includes defining whether white people are "mayonnaise sandwich white" or just white. Note: mayonnaise white is bad.

Over the summer, Reid and her colleagues pushed the conspiracy that Trump staged his first assassination attempt. Here is what she posted on Threads at the time:

"I have many questions! 🙋🏾Like where are the medical reports? What caused Trump’s injury and what was the injury? Shrapnel? Glass? A bullet? Where were the three attendees who were shot seated or standing relative to Trump? 

"Why was Trump allowed to stand and pose for photos, fist pumping for nearly ten seconds while asking about his shoe when there could easily have been additional shooters? How did the gunman manage to get on the roof of the building WHERE THE LOCAL POLICE WERE LITERALLY INSIDE?"

"More questions: does it make sense that a 17 year old who three years later is a member of a far right gun group donated to any political organization, let alone @actblueorg??? Has the organization verified that? And where is this supposed ladder? Did he seriously bring a five foot ladder with him and his AR? Really? And why haven’t authorities released information about all three civilian victims, including a schematic of where they were standing or sitting?"

Got all that?

The hell with facts.

MSNBC also still employs Rev. Al Sharpton, whose foundation received $500,000 from Kamala Harris' campaign before he interviewed her on MSNBC in October. The network says Sharpton did not disclose the donation before the interview. 

Somehow, he was not suspended. (Wonder why?)

Chris Hayes, Nicolle Wallace, and Joe Scarborough are not exactly the epitome of credibility either. Notably, "Morning Joe" is still trying to draw viewers back after they revolted over their visit to Mar-a-Lago after the election.

One could argue that the next president should reign in the channel by at least, somewhat, prioritizing accuracy. We know, that is unlikely.

See, the issue with MSNBC is not its ideology. There is nothing wrong with an overtly left-wing cable news channel. The criticism of MSNBC is that its loons are often some combination of uninformed, dishonest, and hateful.

Based on recent viewership trends, MSNBC agrees. People have lost trust in the network after nearly a decade of lies, inflammatory hoaxes, and perpetual hysteria.

Rashida Jones must have realized she couldn't fix the problems she created. Best to jump off the ship before it sinks, amirite?