In a move which has left many stunned, political commentator and beloved television host Joy Reid has addressed her unexpected departure from MSNBC, where she helmed the popular primetime show The ReidOut.
Reid opened up during a heartfelt Zoom conversation with Win With Black Women, expressing deep appreciation despite the heartbreaking exit.
“In the end, where I really land, and where I’ve landed on today is just gratitude,” Reid said, while wiping away her tears. “Not just because people would take the time to get on a call like this or to take care of me. But also that my show had value.”
For years, Reid has been a gutsy voice in political commentary—refusing to hold back when it came to calling out injustice, from challenging Donald Trump’s administration to advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement. Her refusal to stay silent on issues like the war in Gaza and systemic racism has consistently ruffled the Far-Right’s feathers.
“I am not sorry I stood up for those things, because those things are of God,” she proclaimed.
In her final show, Reid boldly called on Americans to resist the hijacking of democracy.
“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,” she declared.
Reid’s departure has not gone unnoticed.
Fellow MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow delivered a searing rebuke of the network’s decision, underscoring the problematic optics of removing one of the few Black faces from primetime. Still, since Trump took office on Jan.20, not much has made sense—optics be damned.
Wow. Rachel Maddow called out her network for four minutes tonight, noting not just how special Joy Reid is but also how MSNBC is cutting 2 anchors of color & hurting the people who make all the shows possible. This is courage. A true class act. pic.twitter.com/XowbCflqjz
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) February 25, 2025
“It is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door,” Maddow said. “It is also unnerving to see that on a network where we’ve got two nonwhite hosts in primetime, both are losing their shows—as is Katie Phang on the weekend.”
The timing raises uncomfortable questions. Alex Wagner’s show also got the axe, along with The Katie Phang Show, sparking discussions about representation—or the lack thereof—on major networks.
Is this a continuation of the Trump administration’s misguided war on DEI?
Of course, Trump reacted to Reid’s dismissal with his usual lack of couth.
“Lowlife Chairman of ‘Concast,’ Brian Roberts, the owner of Ratings Challenged 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. Based on her ratings, which were virtually non-existent, she should have been ‘canned’ long ago, along with everyone else who works there,” he wrote on his Truth Social network. “Also thrown out was Alex Wagner, the sub on the seriously failing Rachel Maddow show. Rachel rarely shows up because she knows there’s nobody watching, and she also knows that she’s got less television persona than virtually anyone on television except, perhaps, Joy Reid.”
Freedom of the press is increasingly under attack, but rather than fight, MSNBC has clearly decided to roll over, showing its soft, white underbelly to a predatory administration hellbent on gluttony and revenge.
MSNBC’s statement on the matter was lackluster—but did we really expect anything different?
In a memo to MSNBC staff, Rebecca Kutler, the network’s president, thanked Reid for her “countless contributions,” noting that her work earned her prestigious honors, including the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series.
Joy Reid delivers her final open for MSNBC: pic.twitter.com/wpWVy0GQWE
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 25, 2025
But what does gratitude mean when one of the most truthful Black women in primetime is being shown the door? Nada.
In true Joy Reid fashion, she leaves the spineless network with her head held high and her integrity intact. “I am not sorry I stood up for those things, because those things are of God.”
It’s not all doom and gloom.
A rotation of guest hosts will take the reins for the next few weeks, keeping the conversation going. Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez—familiar faces from MSNBC’s The Weekend—are stepping into the spotlight with a brand-new ensemble show kicking off with a special two-hour edition every Monday.
