MSNBC has canceled Joy Reid’s evening news program “The ReidOut,” with the final episode set to air this week as part of a massive shakeup at the network over to a ratings crash following the reelection of President Donald Trump in November.
Reid’s 7 p.m. slot will be replaced by a panel show featuring Democratic strategist Symone Sanders Townsend, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, and journalist Alicia Menendez, who currently co-host “The Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The decision by Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s newly-appointed leader, comes after ratings have cratered at the network.
According to Nielsen Media Research, Reid’s viewership dropped by almost half in December following the November presidential election, with MSNBC experiencing an overall 53% decline in primetime viewership overall during that period.
Staff members reportedly learned about the cancellation from press reports rather than network leadership, leading to what media journalist Oliver Darcy described as a “tense and emotional 30-minute impromptu meeting” on Sunday.
A similar meeting was held with Alex Wagner’s staff, though Wagner is expected to remain with the network as a contributor.
Reid, who has been one of MSNBC’s top stars since 2014 and has hosted her evening program since 2020, received support from prominent Democrats following the announcement.
“I owe the television part of my career to Joy Reid, as do so many other Black voices y’all never would have heard of if not for her,” journalist Elie Mystal wrote on X. “And that’s why she’s gone. They can treat black folks as interchangeable, but everybody Black knows that Joy was indispensable.”
Outgoing Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison praised Reid’s performance as a Democratic Party mouthpiece, writing: “Grateful for Joy Reid & her willingness to always provide a forum for voices and candidates often ignored by mainstream media. Can you name another show or host who brought together 5 Black candidates running for the US Senate?!”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump celebrated the news on Truth Social, writing: “Lowlife Chairman of ‘Concast,’ Brian Roberts, the owner of Ratings Challenge NBC and MSDNC, has finally gotten the nerve up to fire one of the least talented people in television, the mentally obnoxious racist, Joy Reid.”
Trump also criticized other MSNBC hosts, claiming the network is “nothing more than an illegal arm of the Democratic party” that “should be forced to pay vast sums of money for the damage they’ve done to our Country.”