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Tag: MSNBC

  • Cruz wrong about MSNBC footage from ‘No Kings’ rally

    After large crowds turned out Oct. 18 for “No Kings” rallies across the U.S., some conservative politicians and social media accounts sought to undermine the crowd counts.

    One X account posted, “Analysts are calling this the biggest FRAUD in American history. MSNBC falsely aired a Video from 2017 claiming it was LIVE footage from yesterday’s ‘No Kings’ rally in Boston. MSNBC purposely wanted to portray a massive turnout for ‘No Kings.’ Which was a LIE.” Other X accounts posted similar claims.

    Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reshared a post by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that included the MSNBC footage.

    “Why are Dems dishonestly sending around a video from 2017, claiming it was this past weekend?” Cruz wrote. After this story was published, the X post was no longer available on Cruz’s account.

    The footage MSNBC aired is real and depicted Boston’s Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally. The views of the protest that MSNBC aired were similar to others that aired Oct. 18 by four Boston-area television stations.

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    Cruz’s office did not respond by publication time to an inquiry.

    How large were the “No Kings” rally crowds?

    Organizers of the “No Kings” rallies — dozens of liberal groups, including environmental organizations and labor unions — estimate that up to 7 million people attended protests nationally, including 125,000 people at the rally at Boston Common, a large public park. 

    That would make Boston’s rally the nation’s fourth largest of the day, behind New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., according to nationally crowdsourced estimates compiled by G. Elliott Morris, the former editor of FiveThirtyEight.com who now runs a Substack on political data. Morris’ median national estimate for rally attendees was between 5.2 million and 8.2 million people. 

    The 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C., was estimated to include 470,000 people, according to academic estimates reported by The New York Times.

    Crowd counts were scrutinized in 2017 after Trump said counts comparing attendees at the Women’s March with his inauguration undercounted the inauguration crowd. He falsely accused the media of lying about his inauguration crowd.

    MSNBC did not respond to an inquiry for this article. Using the television monitoring service TVEyes, we confirmed that the MSNBC footage aired Oct. 18 around 11:35 a.m. Eastern Time.

    Four TV stations in the Boston area aired similar views Oct. 18, showing large numbers of people filling the park and temporary structures built for guest speakers. 

    WBZ (CBS affiliate): 

     

    WCVB (ABC affiliate):

     

    WFXT (Fox affiliate): 

     

     

    WBTS (NBC affiliate):

     

    PolitiFact partner WMUR-TV in New Hampshire also aired a similar aerial shot:

     

    CNN on Oct. 18 aired similar footage that it credited to WCVB, the ABC affiliate.

    Grok, X’s AI chatbot, might have contributed to misinformation about the video being from 2017, the BBC reported. 

    Several of the X posts that spread the claim of the footage being eight years old included as evidence screenshots of a proposed community note. Community notes are a crowdsourced system X uses to add context to information shared on the platform.

    But a “proposed” community note is one that has not been approved yet. The proposed note shown in the social media posts was written by artificial intelligence, the BBC reported, with supporting links that did not prove that the footage was from 2017. Some Grok responses repeated the false claim from that proposed community note.

    Our ruling

    Cruz said Democrats are “dishonestly sending around a video from 2017” and claiming it showed an Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally in Boston.

    The MSNBC footage Cruz was referring to was real and showed the Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally in Boston.

    Four Boston-area television stations and one in New Hampshire shared similar footage during the stations’ live coverage of Boston’s Oct. 18 “No Kings” protest.

    We rate the statement False.

    UPDATE, Oct. 21, 2025: This story was updated after publication to note that Cruz’s Oct. 19 X post is no longer available on his account.

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  • Kamala Harris Directly Asked if She Supports Zohran Mamda…

    Former Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during a Monday night interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, potentially further boosting the democratic socialist assemblyman’s campaign.

    The endorsement comes as Mamdani’s chances have surged to 85 percent on prediction markets as of last week, as recent polling shows commanding leads over his opponents ahead of the November 4 general election.

    Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s office via email on Monday for comment.

    Why It Matters

    Harris’ endorsement represents a potential lift for Mamdani’s campaign amid ongoing divisions within the Democratic Party over his candidacy.

    The former vice president’s support contrasts with the reluctance of key Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, who have remained neutral.

    What To Know

    On Maddow’s eponymous The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, the host directly asked Harris if she endorsed Mamdani’s candidacy. Harris responded: “Look, as far as I’m concerned, he’s the Democratic nominee, and he should be supported.”

    The former vice president went on to pivot the discussion to lesser-known Democratic leaders running in other mayoral campaigns, including state Representative Barbara Drummond of Alabama and Helena Moreno of New Orleans.

    Mamdani’s campaign has gained significant momentum following Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to remain in the race, which paradoxically boosted the assemblyman’s chances from 79.7 percent to 85 percent on Polymarket prediction markets. Polling data reveals Mamdani’s dominance across multiple surveys conducted in early September, consistently showing double-digit leads over his closest rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

    Five major polls demonstrate Mamdani’s commanding position. A CBS News/YouGov poll showed him leading 43 percent to Cuomo’s 28 percent, while a Marist survey recorded a 45 percent to 24 percent advantage. Quinnipiac University’s poll gave Mamdani a 22-point lead at 45 percent to 23 percent and an Emerson College poll showed 43 percent to 28 percent. The New York Times/Siena poll recorded Mamdani at 46 percent versus Cuomo’s 24 percent.

    However, when hypothetical head-to-head matchups remove Adams from the equation, Mamdani’s lead narrows significantly in some scenarios. While maintaining substantial advantages in most polls, the gap tightens to as little as 4 points in the Times/Siena survey, suggesting Cuomo could absorb anti-Mamdani votes in a more consolidated field.

    New York State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs announced he would not endorse Mamdani, citing fundamental disagreements over policy approaches and specifically opposing his views on Israel. Jacobs said he “strongly disagree[s] with his views on the State of Israel” and rejects “the platform of the so-called ‘Democratic Socialists of America.’”

    Despite calls from President Donald Trump for candidates to consolidate against Mamdani, both Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa have refused to exit the race. Adams spokesperson Todd Shapiro emphatically denied rumors earlier this month of the mayor’s withdrawal, saying Adams “is in this race to win it,” with more than 20 events scheduled and multiple fundraisers planned.

    What People Are Saying

    Maddow, during the interview: “Arguably the fastest rising star right now in Democratic politics is Zohran Mamdani who is going to be elected mayor of New York City, and, um, probably in a landslide, if the polls are anything to go by. Lots of mainline Democrats have been very shy about his candidacy.”

    Jacobs: “Mr. Mamdani and I are in agreement that America’s greatest problem is the continued growth in income disparity in our nation. On how to address it–we fundamentally disagree.”

    Trump, on Truth Social: “Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has Endorsed the ‘Liddle’ Communist,’ Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor of New York. This is a rather shocking development, and a very bad one for New York City.”

    Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont: “The oligarchs are panicking. They will spend as much as it takes to try to defeat Zohran Mamdani. They’ve got the money. We’ve got the people.”

    What Happens Next?

    With less than six weeks until the general election, the focus shifts to whether Harris’ endorsement will encourage Democratic leaders to follow suit and publicly support Mamdani.

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  • MSNBC Acquires Rachel Maddow-Produced ‘Andrew Young: The Dirty Work’ (Exclusive)

    Rachel Maddow has set up her next documentary project at her home network.

    MSNBC has acquired Andrew Young: The Dirty Work, the second documentary from the host’s Surprise Inside production company, which focuses on the eponymous Civil Rights Movement leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and later became a Congressman and mayor of Atlanta.

    The Matt Kay-directed film will air on MSNBC on Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 pm ET after a special edition of The Rachel Maddow Show dedicated to Young’s life and legacy.

    “At a time when confrontations with the government and grassroots protests are back at the center of American political life, the civil rights movement is more than just a moral cornerstone for our country — it’s a living, breathing, practical manual for how to fight for what’s right, and win that fight, and maybe even save your own soul in the process,” Maddow said in a statement. “Andrew Young’s story is not gauzy or romantic, it’s the gritty truth of what it takes to build and sustain a winning movement. Andrew Young: The Dirty Work is about how hard it is to be a hero, and how beautiful, too.”

    An extended first look at the project will debut at the network’s yearly fan event, “MSNBCLIVE ‘25: This Is Who We Are,” on Oct. 11 in New York.

    Co-produced by Left/Right and executive produced by Maddow, the film will see the 93-year-old Young tell his story in his own words, from his start as a pastor to his pivotal work during the Civil Rights Movement (Young was portrayed by André Holland in the 2014 film Selma) to his debut in national politics as a U.S. representative from Georgia.

    Later, Young served as an American ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter and as the mayor of Atlanta for two terms. Looking back on his career, he reflects in the film on “the dirty work,” or “the quiet, difficult labor that makes landmark change possible,” according to MSNBC.

    “I was born at the right time and happened to be at the right places to be part of the Civil Rights movement that helped change America,” Andrew Young said in a statement about the film.

    The film follows the first release from Maddow’s production company, From Russia With Lev, which premiered in 2024, two years after Surprise Inside launched. The film debuted to 2.2 million viewers and was later nominated for a 2025 News & Documentary Emmy award.

    Katie Kilkenny

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  • Trump border czar Tom Homan reportedly accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents

    The FBI reportedly recorded Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover agents who were posing as business contractors last year.

    A new report from MSNBC on Saturday reveals that the agents recorded Homan, six weeks before the 2024 election, allegedly promising to assist in securing government contracts across the border security industry during Trump’s second term.

    Six sources familiar with the matter told MSNBC that the FBI and justice department – then run by Joe Biden’s administration – had intended to hold off and assess whether Homan would follow through on his alleged promises after he was appointed as Trump’s border czar. However, the investigation stalled after Trump took office, and in recent weeks, officials appointed by Trump decided to close the case, according to MSNBC.

    According to the sources, a justice department official who was appointed by Trump called the case a “deep state” investigation.

    In a separate statement to MSNBC, the FBI director, Kash Patel, and the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, said: “This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and justice department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.”

    They added: “The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed.”

    The White House deputy press secretary, Abigail Jackson, told MSNBC the investigation was “blatantly political”. Jackson added that it was “yet another example of how the Biden Department of Justice was using its resources to target President Trump’s allies rather than investigate real criminals and the millions of illegal aliens who flooded our country”.

    Homan was captured on video accepting $50,000 in cash at a meeting spot in Texas on 20 September 2024, according to an internal summary of the case reviewed by MSNBC and sources who spoke to the outlet.

    Four sources familiar with the matter told MSNBC that multiple federal officials believed they had a solid criminal case against Homan for conspiracy to commit bribery. However, since Homan was not a public official at the time he accepted the money and Trump had not yet become president, his actions did not meet the criteria for a standard bribery charge.

    Officials eventually decided to continue monitoring Homan once he joined Trump’s second presidential administration. MSNBC reports that officials had been looking at four potential criminal charges including conspiracy, bribery and two kinds of fraud, before Trump’s new justice department shut down the investigation.

    Homan, who was previously the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) during Trump’s first term, was appointed by Trump to run what he has described as the “biggest deportation” project the US has ever seen. Prior to his appointment as border czar, Homan was a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the Washington DC-based thinktank behind Project 2025.

    After the MSNBC report was published, Adam Schiff, a California Democratic senator and a former federal prosecutor, wrote on social media: “Border Czar Tom Homan was caught by the FBI accepting bribes – on camera – to deliver government contracts in exchange for $50,000 in cash. Pam Bondi knew. Kash Patel knew. Emil Bove knew. And they made the investigation go away. A corrupt attempt to conceal brazen graft.”

    In an angry outburst on his social media platform on Saturday night, Trump appeared to direct his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to appoint a White House aide, Lindsey Halligan, interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, so that she could seek criminal charges against Schiff and another of the president’s political rivals, New York’s attorney general, Letitia James. Trump has demanded that both Schiff and James be prosecuted on mortgage fraud claims both deny.

    On Friday, the prosecutor who was serving as the district’s interim US attorney, Erik Siebert, was forced out, reportedly for refusing to bring charges against James, due to a lack of evidence. Trump insisted on Saturday that he had fired Siebert for political reasons. Late Saturday, Trump announced that he would nominate Halligan, his former personal lawyer and a one-time contestant in the Miss Colorado USA beauty pageant now serving as a special assistant to the president, to replace Siebert.

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  • Fox News host apologizes for remarks about killing mentally ill homeless people

    “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade apologized Sunday for remarks he made last week that suggested using involuntary lethal injections to get mentally ill homeless people off the streets.

    Kilmeade’s comments came during a discussion last Wednesday on “Fox & Friends” about the Aug. 22 stabbing death of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, on a light rail train in Charlotte, N.C.

    Zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr., is a homeless man with a long criminal record and is a paranoid schizophrenic, according to his family.

    The attack on Zarutska was captured on security cameras and circulated widely online. The incident has sparked a national debate on public safety policy and criminal sentencing.

    The topic led “Fox & Friends” co-host Laurence Jones to say that billions of dollars have been spent on programs to care for the homeless and mentally ill but many of those afflicted resist help.

    “A lot of them don’t want to take the programs,” Jones said. “A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary. You can’t give them the choice. Either you take the resources that we’re going to give you, or you decide that you’ve got to be locked up in jail.”

    Kilmeade added: “Or involuntary lethal injection or something — just kill ‘em.”

    A clip of Kilmeade’s remarks started to circulate widely on X on Saturday.

    “I apologize for that extremely callous remark,” Kilmeade said during Sunday’s edition of the morning program. “I am obviously aware that not all mentally ill, homeless people act as the perpetrator did in North Carolina and that so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.”

    Many online commentators pointed out that Kilmeade’s comments evoked the extermination of mentally ill and disabled people that was authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1939. The German chancellor’s euthanasia program killed more than 250,000 people ahead of the Holocaust.

    For now, Kilmeade has avoided the fate of political analyst Matthew Dowd, who lost his contributor role at MSNBC after commenting on the Wednesday shooting death of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk.

    Dowd told MSNBC anchor Katy Tur that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”

    Dowd, once a political strategist for President George W. Bush, described Kirk as a divisive figure “who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups.”

    The angry reaction on social media was immediate after Dowd’s comments suggested that Kirk’s history of incendiary remarks led to the shooting.

    Rebecca Kutler, president of MSNBC, issued an apology and cut ties with Dowd.

    Dowd also apologized in a post on BlueSky. “I in no way intended to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack,” he said.

    The top executives at MSNBC parent Comcast sent a company-wide memo Friday citing Dowd’s firing and told employees “we need to do better.”

    Stephen Battaglio

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  • Mamdani: ‘What we need is an approach to leadership that understands partnership at the core of it’

    Democratic Nominee for New York City Mayor and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, joins MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton to discuss his leadership style and actions if he wins the mayoral election, President Trump’s threats to send National Guards to NYC, Mayor Eric Adams on not dropping out of the race, matchup with former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and many more.

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  • Survivor Jena-Lisa Jones on Trump ‘Epstein hoax’ claim: I voted for him, he’s supposed to protect us

    Survivor Jena-Lisa Jones on Trump 'Epstein hoax' claim: I voted for him, he's supposed to protect us

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  • MS NOW: Everything Wrong With MSNBC’s New Name and Logo

    Illustration: X/@brianstelter

    In huge news for boomers who watch too much Rachel Maddow and the millennials who love them, MSNBC is changing its name to MS NOW.

    The folks at Morning Joe did their best to sound absolutely psyched about the new name and logo while announcing the rebrand on Monday morning.

    “This shows we’re independent,” claimed Joe Scarborough, adding, “We’re moving in a direction beyond corporate media.”

    CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin agreed, gushing, “I’ve always thought about this network, and CNBC, and USA, and actually all of those assets, as insurgent networks. This is an insurgent network. And I love the idea, to be honest with you!”

    All it actually shows is that Comcast is spinning off most of its cable channels into a new company (which will also get a new name), as The Wall Street Journal explained:

    The shift is part of an effort to distance the network from its NBC heritage and establish its own identity ahead of the planned spinoff of the bulk of NBCUniversal’s cable networks later this year, including CNBC, USA, Oxygen and E!. MSNBC and some other channels that use the iconic peacock logo associated with NBCUniversal brands will also lose that imagery. … The new names and brands will be rolled out later this year, ahead of the completion of the spinoff. 

    In November, Comcast greenlighted a $7 billion spinoff of its NBCUniversal cable channels. NBC, Bravo and the Peacock streaming service are staying under the NBCUniversal umbrella. The new company will be known as Versant.

    Online reactions to MSNBC’s new name have, of course, been largely negative. There’s been a deluge of name changes in media in recent years, and deriding corporate rebrands is one of the things the social-media site formerly known as Twitter does best. So while we must acknowledge that there was little chance of this change being well-received, here’s a look at some of the top complaints about the new-and-maybe-not-improved branding.

    The name MS NOW brings to mind HBO Now, which was somehow different from HBO Go in ways I could never explain though I definitely had one of those streaming services. They eventually became HBO Max, then Max, which recently and very hilariously changed back to HBO Max.

    Comcast executives can’t really be blamed for the last bit; they probably came up with MS NOW well before May, when the HBO Max reversion brought this ridiculous name evolution back into the public consciousness. But you probably don’t want to launch your “insurgent” media outlet with a name plucked from the streaming-service graveyard.

    Similarly, you always want to make sure your new product doesn’t use the same acronym as a chronic disease.

    “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

    To be fair, executives were faced with a pretty impossible task: Find a name that doesn’t include “NBC” and won’t be confused with MSN but still tells people, “Yes, this is the place to watch Rachel Maddow.” Presumably that led them to MS NOW, which led to an attempt to pretend the letters actually stand for something. But it’s just a jumble of newsy words that don’t quite make sense when arranged in this order.

    Scarborough described the network’s new graphic as “very sporty,” but most people said it looked like an outdated political-campaign logo.

    That could be construed as a reference to the network’s roots; MSNBC launched in 1996 as a partnership between Microsoft and NBC. Then the technology company divested its stake in the cable channel in 2005 and in MSNBC.com in 2012.

    Considering that Morning Joe guest Molly Jong-Fast admitted on Monday’s show, “I didn’t know the MS was from Microsoft,” it seems unlikely that many people would make that connection. Yet as graphic designer Allan Peters told the New York Times, the logo’s spacing actually emphasizes the “MS”:

    The new logo “does not have the same charm to it,” said Allan Peters, a graphic designer in Eagan, Minn., who has written a book about logo design.

    … Mr. Peters said that the space between the logo and the capital letters was larger than that between “MS” and “NOW,” exacerbating the confusion by drawing attention to the “MS.”

    MSNBC also missed an opportunity to replace the peacock with this killer logo:

    Speaking of The Simpsons, it seems that when thinking about whether MS Now could be turned into a derisive nickname, Comcast executives stopped brainstorming after “A.”

    Donald Trump has a nasty moniker for just about every media outlet. Many are lazy (“the failing New York Times,” “failing Forbes magazine,” “the failing and money-losing Daily Beast”). But he’s come up with a few clever ways to express his (absolutely abhorrent) disdain for the free press, such as “MSDNC” and “Clinton News Network.”

    But Trump didn’t even get the chance to come up with a new insult for MSNBC, one of his most loathed outlets. Within hours of the announcement, MAGA types had already branded it “BS Now” or “Most Surely No One Watching.”

    When Trump finally got around to mocking the name change on Truth Social, three days after it was announced, he didn’t use any nickname, or even mention MS NOW:

    For 30 Rock fans, it’s hard to take any of Comcast’s corporate moves seriously, as it all sounds like something Jack Donaghy cooked up as a way to sell more Trivection ovens.

    This post has been updated.


    See All



    Margaret Hartmann

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  • MSNBC Is Rebranding As MS NOW

    MS NOW, née MSNBC.
    Photo: Versant

    MSNBC is getting a new name and logo later this year, marking the first major public-facing change to come out of Versant’s upcoming split from NBCUniversal. What’s going on, which other networks will be affected, and will there be a board for Steve Kornacki to drawn on?

    MSNBC will become MS NOW (short for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World”). “This new name underscores the brand’s mission to serve as the destination for domestic and international breaking news and the best-in-class opinion journalism,” Versant CEO Mark Lazarus announced in a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “MSNBC has been building toward this moment and welcoming a wave of exceptional journalists to their newsgathering operation. Most importantly, while the name will be different, the brand’s commitment to its audience will not change.”

    MSNBC echoed that sentiment in a public statement confirming the new moniker on August 18. “For our viewers who have watched us for decades, it may be hard to imagine this network by any other name. We understand,” the statement said. “But our promise to you remains as it always has. You know who we are, and what we do.”

    MSNBC has been recruiting for about 100 new roles — and will shed NBC’s signature tail feathers from its logo, network president Rebecca Kutler confirmed in an internal email. “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” she wrote. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation. The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity.”

    A fair question, considering that it’s less than a year old. In November 2024, NBCUniversal announced that it would spin off most of its cable networks — including MSNBC, USA, CNBC, E! Entertainment, Oxygen, and the Golf Channel — into a new publicly traded media company called Versant. Per Axios, this corporate split is expected to be finalized by the end of 2025. Versant’s portfolio also includes digital companies Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine.

    Yup. MSNBC and NBC News were previously under the same corporate structure, but this upcoming Versant split will put an end to that era, and at least one MSNBC host seems excited for the challenge. “If there was ever a time for us to change our name, this is it — because we’re not just separating from NBC News in corporate terms, we’re competing with them now,” Rachel Maddow said in an email to Variety. “So I think the distinction is going to be good for us. What NBC doing in its legacy timeslots — the Today Show, Nightly, Meet the Press — is just a world away from the 24/7 totally independent news operation that we’re able to stand up now, thanks to the spin-off.” It sounds like NBC should expect plenty of competing Capitol coverage; according to reports from fellow Versant brand CNBC, MNSBC MS NOW has hired reporters from CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, and other outlets to establish its first-ever Washington, D.C., bureau.

    Now we’re asking the real questions. According to Adweek, the “map daddy” of MSNBC’s Election Night coverage is sticking with NBC as the chief data analyst for NBC News and NBC Sports.

    USA Network and Golf Channel will merge into a new USA Sports brand, which will join MS NOW in getting a new peacockless logo. And because NBCUniversal wants to keep its bird branding to itself after the split, you can also expect new logos for CNBC, GolfNow, and SportsEngine.

    Returning to the MSNBC name would feel a little counter to Versant’s clear goal of getting people to stop associating it with NBC. But hey, we lived to see HBO Max die and come back, so who knows?

    Jennifer Zhan

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  • WATCH: Former Dem Senator Claire McCaskill Breaks Down In Tears On Live TV Over Kamala’s Defeat

    Credit: Screenshot via RealClearPolitics

    Go ahead and inject this into my veins. Former Democrat Senator Claire McCaskill, now an MSNBC contributor, was left in tears while discussing Kamala Harris’s landslide defeat to Donald Trump.

    And man, was it ever glorious.

    The emotional breakdown occurred following Harris’ concession speech delivered Wednesday on the campus of Howard University. Harris vowed to keep up the fight.

    “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris said. “But hear me when I say … the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

    That, it seems, is what moved McCaskill to tears.

    Claire McCaskill Is Beside Herself With Grief

    During MSNBC’s coverage of the speech, anchor Nicole Wallace noticed that her colleague, Claire McCaskill, was struggling to keep it together.

    “I mean, in that mission and that purpose, Claire McCaskill, will determine,” Wallace began, before noticing something was amiss. “Um, you okay?”

    Those three words might as well be slapped to our foreheads as we all try to navigate around our liberal friends during this very difficult time for them.

    “I think I’m okay,” McCaskill replied.

    She wasn’t. And Wallace, probably wishing she had a couch for the former Senator to lay down on, responded, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

    Ya know, some psychiatrists get paid $375/hour for that kind of therapy.

    RELATED: Jake Tapper’s Reaction When He Realized Just How Bad A Candidate Kamala Harris Was: ‘Holy Smokes’

    Harris Ran An Amazing Campaign, She Insists

    Claire McCaskill, like many Harris supporters, is struggling to cope with Donald Trump’s massive, historic victory. Whereas they’ve spent the past two years genuinely believing the man was going to jail, he is instead the President-Elect, heading back to the White House.

    Not since Grover Cleveland in 1893 has America had a President get elected to non-consecutive terms.

    What a time to be alive!

    Claire though, wants people to know just how great Kamala’s campaign was. So great, that she had to repeatedly wipe tears away while recalling its greatness.

    “Well, I’m so proud — ah, I’m so proud of her,” she said fighting off the vapors. “I don’t think people realize how hard it is to get to where she was.”

    “Um, as a woman, getting elected DA, it’s not easy, guys. People don’t trust women to be in charge of making decisions about life and death and crime and being, frankly, a supervisor in some ways over police.”

    “Her fighting through the primary thicket of California politics to become Attorney General, really hard,” McCaskill continued. “I mean, this is really hard stuff.”

    “People don’t trust women to be in charge” – Ah, the ol’ misogyny angle. Where would Democrats be without it and its close sister, ‘everyone’s a racist.’

    White House Reportedly Altered Official Transcript Of Biden’s ‘Garbage’ Comment

    Rusty Weiss

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  • ‘You’re next:’ Some Trump supporters blame the media for assassination attempt

    ‘You’re next:’ Some Trump supporters blame the media for assassination attempt

    New York (CNN) — Moments after Donald Trump was rushed to safety following a failed assassination attempt at a Saturday night rally, some of his supporters turned toward the press pen with obscenities as they fingered reporters for blame.

    “This is your fault!” one attendee emphatically yelled, pointing at individual journalists as he approached the fence line separating them from attendees. “This is your fault!”

    “It is your fault!” exclaimed another.

    Axios reporter Sophia Cai, who quoted some in the crowd warning the press, “you’re next” and that their “time is coming,” even reported that a few rally goers tried to breach the barriers establishing the press pen, but that they were stopped by security personnel.

    In the immediate wake of the horrific shooting attempt on Trump’s life, which resulted in the tragic death of one rally attendee and the severe wounding of two others, the news media has quickly emerged among some Trump supporters as a body to assign blame.

    While the Trump campaign urged its staff to “condemn all forms of violence” and said it “will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media,” some of the former president’s supporters in MAGA Media vehemently assailed the press for its hard-knuckled reporting on Trump, which has sounded the alarm on what four more years under the former president would look like.

    Over the course of the campaign cycle, news organizations have, among other things, reported at length on Trump’s plans to warp the federal government for his own ends, including to seek vengeance against his political opponents. That reporting is now facing scrutiny, with some Trump supporters blaming it for producing a charged atmosphere that gave way to the assassination attempt, while mostly looking past the incendiary rhetoric of the former president himself.

    Immediately after the attack, top figures across the news media condemned the shooting, underscoring that violence against a political candidate is an attack on democracy itself. Top liberal commentators also expressed their disgust in strong terms. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, the country’s most recognized liberal personality, said she did not “have adequate words to describe how disgusted and horrified” she was.

    “There is no *no* *no* *no* violent solution to any American political conflict,” Maddow wrote on Threads. “I am grateful the former president is going to be ok, and miserably sad and angry about the other people hurt and killed. This is a very dark day.”

    The reaction from the press and liberal media figures stood in stark contrast to how right-wing media personalities have responded in the aftermath of attacks on Democrats. Instead of raising the volume or fanning the flames of false flag conspiracy theories, which top figures on the right have done after attacks on Paul Pelosi and Gabrielle Giffords, they urged for calm.

    Nevertheless, the anti-press attitude in MAGA circles has unquestionably increased. Despite the accuracy of the news media’s reporting on Trump, supporters of the former president have moved to vilify and scapegoat journalists for the heinous attack, sending anti-media attitudes to alarming heights.

    “On a daily basis, MSNBC tells its audience that Trump is a threat to democracy, an authoritarian in waiting, and a would-be dictator if no one stops him,” conservative radio host Erick Erickson wrote on X. “What did they think would happen?”

    Donald Trump Jr. blasted CNN, The Washington Post, and the press at large for recent coverage of his father.

    “Dems and their friends in the media knew exactly what they were doing with the ‘literally Hitler’ bullshit!,” he wrote on X.

    With just over 100 days until the November elections, the inflamed disposition toward the press has prompted cause for concern among news executives and spurred discussion inside newsrooms about safety and security precautions — especially with the Republican National Convention set to start on Monday. That four-day event, which was already a security concern prior to the assassination attempt, will bring together scores of journalists, alongside thousands of Trump supporters.

    “Journalists are always among the very first to run towards a crisis, and we collectively are working in overdrive to keep everyone safe,” one news executive told me. “That is the absolute top priority.”

    Oliver Darcy and CNN

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  • Judge says Maddow, other MSNBC hosts made ‘verifiably false’ statements about doctor suing for defamation

    Judge says Maddow, other MSNBC hosts made ‘verifiably false’ statements about doctor suing for defamation

    NBCUniversal faces a defamation lawsuit after a judge ruled that MSNBC hosts, including Rachel Maddow and Nicolle Wallace, made “verifiably false” statements that a Georgia doctor performed unnecessary hysterectomies at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center.

    Plaintiff Dr. Mahendra Amin, an obstetrician gynecologist who provided medical care to women detained at the Irwin County Detention Center, was accused in 2020 of performing unnecessary hysterectomies by a nurse at the facility who made a whistleblower complaint.

    NBC reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley worked to verify the whistleblower’s claims, and eventually published an article despite initial skepticism from the network’s standards department. MSNBC quickly followed with a series of on-air reports in which the doctor was often referred to as the “uterus collector,” but the whistleblower’s claims were never proven to be true.

    “NBC investigated the whistleblower letter’s accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter’s accusations anyway,” Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia wrote on June 26 in a 108-page summary.

    MSNBC WEEKLY VIEWERSHIP HITS 2024 LOW DURING TIME OF CRISIS FOR BIDEN

    Wallace, who identified Amin by name, according to the court document, made “multiple statements” that were defamatory when she was the first MSNBC host to discuss the story on-air, the plaintiff claims.

    READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

    “We are following breaking news today. It’s about an alarming new whistleblower complaint that alleges, quote, high numbers of female detainees, detained immigrants, at an ICE detention center in Georgia received questionable hysterectomies while in ICE custody,” Wallace told “Deadline: White House” viewers.

    Amin “performed only two hysterectomies on women detained at the facility,” according to court documents.

    That same evening, “All In With Chris Hayes” featured an interview with the whistleblower. Hayes’ MSNBC program also spoke with a lawyer who claims as many as 15 immigrant women were given full or partial hysterectomies or other procedures for which no medical indication existed.

    BIDEN DEBATE DEBACLE: 10 EYE-OPENING MEDIA RESPONSES, FROM MSNBC PANIC TO ‘THE VIEW’ CALLING FOR REPLACEMENT

    Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star who reportedly earns $30 million per year despite only hosting her program once a week, amplified the whistleblower claims by passionately covering them on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

    MSNBC regularly informed viewers of an ICE statement that “accusations will be fully investigated by an independent office, however, ICE vehemently disputes the implication that detainees are used for experimental medical procedures.”

    Maddow also included a statement from Amin, in which he vigorously denied the whistleblower’s claims.

    According to the court document, Maddow “initially questioned reporting on the allegations,” and suggested there was a lot of “jumping to conclusions around the complaint” but proceeded to cover it anyway. “All In with Chris Hayes” did a follow-up later in the week.

    MSNBC HOST ATTACKS WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS’ ‘GROTESQUE’ BEHAVIOR AGAINST KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

    Rachel Maddow

    Rachel Maddow is at the center of a defamation lawsuit.

    Amin demanded that NBC retract the “false and defamatory” statements from the four MSNBC broadcasts to no avail. The United States Senate investigated the whistleblower claims but failed to confirm the accusations.

    The judge detailed that “undisputed evidence has established” that “there were no mass hysterectomies or high numbers of hysterectomies at the facility,” “Dr. Amin performed only two hysterectomies on female detainees from the ICDC,” and the doctor is not a “uterus collector.”

    “The Court must look to each of the statements in the context of the entire broadcast or social media post to assess the construction placed upon it by the average viewer,” the judge wrote.

    “Viewed in their entirety, the September 15, 2020 episodes of ‘Deadline: White House,’ ‘All In With Chris Hayes,’ and ‘The Rachel Maddow Show’ accuse Plaintiff of performing mass hysterectomies on detainee women. It does not matter that NBC did not make these accusations directly, but only republished the whistleblower letter’s allegations,” the judge continued. “If accusations against a plaintiff are ‘based entirely on hearsay,’ ‘[t]he fact that the charges made were based upon hearsay in no manner relieves the defendant of liability. Charges based upon hearsay are the equivalent in law to direct charges.’”

    Wood ordered a jury trial to determine if MSNBC engaged in “actual malice.”

    MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Original article source: Judge says Maddow, other MSNBC hosts made ‘verifiably false’ statements about doctor suing for defamation

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  • Pelosi sends signal to Biden: ‘Time is running short’

    Pelosi sends signal to Biden: ‘Time is running short’

    WASHINGTON — 

    Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the most influential voices in President Biden’s sphere outside of his family, sent a rare public signal Wednesday morning that suggested she is trying to nudge him to consider dropping out of the election.

    “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said on MSNBC. “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.”

    Pelosi sandwiched her comments between praise for Biden and his record. But Pelosi is notably careful and calculating in her public comments and well aware that Biden has repeatedly and forcefully said he has already made that decision. She spoke on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Biden’s favorite cable news show and the same venue where on Monday he gave one of his most defiant declarations that he would remain in the race.

    Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, is no longer in Democratic leadership but remains in the House after one of the most consequential tenures in history. At 84, she is three years older than Biden and served alongside him for most of his political career. She also had the experience of watching close friend Sen. Dianne Feinstein deteriorate before dying in office last year.

    Pelosi said Biden would have the “overwhelming support” of House Democrats. “He’s beloved, he is respected, and people want him to make that decision.”

    She also suggested that she would not make a more direct call for him to withdraw.

    “I’ve said to everyone, let’s just hold off, whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week,” she said.

    The comments preceded a high-profile call to withdraw from a different sort of influencer: George Clooney. The actor, who is a major backer for Democrats, headlined a Hollywood mega-fundraiser for Biden last month.

    “The one battle he cannot win is the fight against time,” Clooney wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in the New York Times. “None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big F— deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

    Noah Bierman

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  • How MSNBC Accurately Covered Joe Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

    How MSNBC Accurately Covered Joe Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

    In the hour leading up to President Joe Biden‘s disastrous debate performance on Thursday, I peeked inside the flashy studio where MSNBC‘s biggest stars were previewing how Donald Trump could derail the proceedings, and I saw megawatt smiles. The hosts were in the middle of a commercial break and clearly savoring one of the biggest political nights of the year; Rachel Maddow made a joke and everyone cracked up.

    I was at 30 Rock for an appearance on NBC’s streaming news service. Afterward, out in the hallway, where producers and technicians scooped up free debate night snacks and sodas, I told one of the MSNBC hosts that I’d be watching Fox News after the debate to see how Fox would spin things for Trump. But I was wrong; Fox’s football-spiking was boring to watch. The far more compelling network to watch on Thursday night and Friday morning was Maddow’s network, where Democratic leaders faced the facts about Biden’s halting, even haunting behavior.

    MSNBC was superbly honest about what had gone wrong. In the first minute of post-debate coverage, Maddow cited Biden’s weak voice and “halting delivery” and said it must have “put a shock into the campaign.” In the second minute, Nicolle Wallace reported that Democratic insiders were having “frank conversations.” Maddow asked her: What do you mean? The “conversations range from whether he should be in this race tomorrow morning, to what was wrong with him,” Wallace said.

    Joy Reid spoke next. “My phone really never stopped buzzing throughout,” she said. “The universal reaction was somewhere approaching panic.”

    Personalities on CNN, CBS and other networks made the same observations, but it was more important coming from MSNBC, the cable giant most closely aligned with the Democratic coalition. As Democrats undertake a debate about the debate — one centering on Biden’s capability to seek re-election — the party’s sometimes awkward conversations are being had on live TV.

    MSNBC is many things in one — it features newscasts and documentaries, not just political analysis — but it is best known for its liberal-POV programs. Liberals and moderates flocked to hosts like Maddow and Wallace for reporting and reassurance during the Trump years, making MSNBC one of the highest-rated channels on all of cable, a stat that holds true today. Audience loyalty is key: MSNBC said last month that in an typical week, “the average MSNBC viewer watches the network for 506 minutes from Monday to Friday, beating the Fox News viewer average (498 minutes) and more than doubling the CNN viewer average (248 minutes).”

    So at a critical political moment, when the sitting president appears vulnerable, and some Democrats are saying he should be replaced at the top of the ticket, is MSNBC denying reality the way Fox has so often been charged with doing? No, not at all. On Thursday night and Friday morning MSNBC hosts showed compassion and respect for Biden, but they didn’t sugarcoat anything. They didn’t spin. Instead, they accepted the sinking feeling within the Democratic party and conveyed what so many millions of viewers were thinking. The coverage was sober and raw without being sensational.

    Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe told Maddow that the debate was a “DEFCON 1 moment” for the Biden campaign. “It really pains me to say this: [Trump and Biden] are three years apart. They seemed abut 30 years apart tonight,” he said.

    It was especially striking to hear “Morning Joe,” widely known to be Biden’s morning show of choice, take apart his performance on Friday morning. Joe Scarborough, who is personally close to Biden, opened Friday’s show by saying “I love Joe Biden” and calling his presidency “an unqualified success” before saying he “tragically did not rise to the occasion last night.” Scarborough asked: “If he were CEO and he turned in a performance like that, would any corporation in America, any Fortune 500 corporation in America, keep him on as CEO?”

    Scarborough’s wife and co-host Mika Brzezinski took a slightly different tone. She admitted Biden had a “terrible night” on stage but urged the Democrats talking about replacing Biden to “slow down.”

    “Let’s see how this develops over the next few days,” guest Eugene Robinson said, while asserting that Democrats should be actively thinking about alternative scenarios for the fall. “We know he can be president,” Robinson said, but the question is whether he can effectively run for president.

    I occasionally appear as a guest on MSNBC programs, so I know (from the viewer feedback I get after live shots) that some loyal fans want to be comforted, not just informed. But MSNBC does not function as a left-wing “safe space” the way Fox does, with damaging consequences, on the right. Ignorant commentators sometimes pretend the channels are two sides of the same political coin. MSNBC’s critical treatment of Biden is yet another moment that dispels the myth.

    “I really have to say, I deeply admire the candor, depth, and insight offered by everyone on @MSNBC tonight in dealing with some tough truths,” liberal commentator David Rothkopf wrote on X overnight.

    I thought the single most powerful moment on MSNBC came shortly after midnight, when Maddow brought in former senator Claire McCaskill, who was at the CNN debate site in Atlanta. McCaskill prefaced her remarks by condemning Trump’s lies and insults; “that’s the easy part” to say, she commented. “The hard and heartbreaking part” was about Biden. I sensed that McCaskill, a Democratic insider who was in touch with party bigwigs, knew the import of her words. She also may have sensed that some MSNBC viewers were wincing at all the criticism of Biden. But “my job now is to be really honest,” she said. And then she let it rip:

    “Joe Biden had one thing he had to do tonight and he didn’t do it. He had one thing he had to accomplish, and that was reassure America that he was up to the job at his age, and he failed at that tonight.”

    “I’m not the only one whose heart is breaking right now,” McCaskill continued, the emotions evident in her voice. “There’s a lot of people who watched this tonight and felt terribly for Joe Biden. And you know, you have to ask, how did we get here?”

    McCaskill signaled that she’s been hearing from “a lot of people,” including those in “high elective offices,” who “feel like we are confronting a crisis.”

    The confrontation is happening on live TV, it is being facilitated by networks like MSNBC, and it’s not over yet.

    –––––

    Brian Stelter is the author of three books about the media industry, a former media reporter at The New York Times, and a former anchor of CNN’s Reliable Sources.

    Jordan Moreau

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  • MSNBC’s Joy Reid Says There’s Something ‘Wonderfully Poetic’ About DEI Officials Prosecuting Trump

    MSNBC’s Joy Reid Says There’s Something ‘Wonderfully Poetic’ About DEI Officials Prosecuting Trump

    Screenshot: The Blaze

    MSNBC host Joy Reid could hardly contain her excitement over the fact that several “DEI officials” are behind the prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

    The acronym DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Critics of such policies suggest it is outright racism, using skin color or other demographics in hiring practices. In other words, affirmative action. Something the Supreme Court recently ended for college admissions.

    Reid, in a segment with fellow host Lawrence O’Donnell, says black attorneys going after Trump is “wonderfully poetic.”

    “But for me, there is something wonderfully poetic about the fact … the first person to actually criminally prosecute Donald Trump is a black Harvard grad,” Reid beams.

    She then falsely suggests former Trump officials “never” want to see black people “at Harvard Law School.”

    RELATED: Joy Reid’s Racist Rant On MLK Day – White Christians Are ‘Overrepresented’

    Joy Reid Cheers To MSNBC Panel – ‘Go My DEIs’

    MSNBC host Joy Reid then pivoted to the alleged election interference charges in Georgia, as well as the widely panned civil fraud lawsuit in New York.

    “And a black woman is doing that same exact thing in Georgia, and a black woman forced you to pay a $175 million fine,” Reid adds.

    She is referring to District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

    “Donald Trump is being held to account by the very multicultural, multiracial democracy that he’s trying to dismantle … It says something good about our country that we’re still capable of having that happen,” she says.

    Reid then cheerleads: “Go, DEI. My DEIs are bringing it home.”

    RELATED: Joy Reid Accuses DeSantis of Turning Florida Into a ‘Right-Wing Fantasy Land’ And We’re All For It

    Reid – Republicans Are Anti-DEI Because They Can’t Stand Black People

    In a career mired in mediocrity and the absurd, Joy Reid’s comments about DEI are pretty impressive.

    But it’s also pretty revealing on a few counts:

    • She’s admitting the prosecutions are more about revenge for perceived racism than they are about the law.
    • It’s proof that DEI hiring is fraught with pitfalls since each of these people she is celebrating has been widely ridiculed by legal experts as either overreaching or generally incompetent at their jobs.
    • With so many prominent black officials it’s almost as if there’s no ‘systemic racism’ to be upset about.

    Reid recently accused Republicans of opposing racist DEI hiring practices because they “can’t stand black people.”

    “At this point, it’s evident what they mean by DEI, right? It means black people. It’s the reason the right complained about Critical Race Theory. It’s not fashionable to be openly racist anymore in America unlike what they call the good old days,” she ranted.

    “So just say what you mean,” Reid added. “You can’t stand black people. We get it. You’ve been heard.”

    Reid has been under fire previously for bigoted, homophobic blog posts, which she claims were posted by hackers. She was not held accountable by MSNBC.

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  • Lawrence O’Donnell Destroys The Argument That Biden Should Step Aside

    Lawrence O’Donnell Destroys The Argument That Biden Should Step Aside

    MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell wrecked the argument coming from some circles that President Joe Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee.

    How Did Lawrence O’Donnell Debunk The Dump Biden Fantasy?

    O’Donnell talked about the dump Biden fantasy and particularly Ezra Klein’s recent piece in The New York Times and said:

     I mentioned Joe Biden at a fund-raiser tonight, where he is crushing Donald Trump in the fundraising competition. The latest campaign finance report shows that the Biden-Harris reelection campaign has $56 million on hand at the end of January while the Trump campaign had only $30 million, President Biden is also raising money with and for the Democratic National Committee which has $24 million on hand at the end of January, the Republican National Committee has $8 million. At the end of January. In the month of January alone, the Trump campaign raised eight point eight million, and spend eleven point four million. Donald Trump has spent a total of $50 million on lawyers during the campaign, will spend much more. Other PACs and fundraising committees supporting the Biden-Harris ticket had a combined $117 million at the beginning of this year, and here is the part, right here.

    Here’s the part of the story that no one who has said Joe Biden should drop out or has written that Joe Biden should drop out has ever mentioned that every other Democrat whose name shows up in these articles as a substitute for Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee has raised exactly zero or money for a presidential campaign. No one has told you about the money, That means that none of them have thought for a second about the money, every series observer of presidential campaigns is supposed to know how important campaign money is, and not one of these people are telling you that it’s time to get rid of Joe Biden have given a thought to the money, so here is what they haven’t told you or simply do not know, not one penny Gavin Newsom has in his campaign treasury in California is usable in a presidential campaign,

    To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

    Money raised for state elections for governors in California and other states are raised under different laws. Then the laws governing federal campaign money. Gavin Newsom has zero to spend on a presidential campaign as of tonight, Gavin Newsom knows that. Gavin Newsom,  if he can get the nomination would then leave the convention with no ability to even fly his way home. Let me say the number again, zero. That is how many dollars Gavin Newsome would have to spend, would have to spend on a presidential campaign leaving the Democratic convention, he would have zero.

    There is one other candidate, besides Joe Biden, who has raised money for presidential campaign and only that one candidate who’s done that is Kamala Harris, the money raised for the Biden Harris campaign was raised in the name of both candidates, so Kamala Harris has a legal claim on all of that money if Joe Biden were to drop out of that race.

     

    Video:

    Joe Biden isn’t going anywhere, because no one else can raise the money or build the massive organization needed to win an election against Donald Trump in the few months before election day, Getting rid of Joe Biden would hand the White House to Donald Trump.

    The only other option for Democrats is Vice President Harris, and the same mostly white male progressives who have been trying to get rid of Biden have also been trying to get rid of Harris.

    The “Biden Replacement Theory” is absolute BS, and the people pushing it, like Ezra Klein, are smart enough to know better, which makes me think that they know exactly what they are doing, and this is a play for their own relevance more than serious concern about winning in November.

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  • Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow Test Monday Media Model to Boost Talk TV

    Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow Test Monday Media Model to Boost Talk TV


    Can Mondays do for the TV business what Thursdays and Sundays once did? Some of the medium’s best-known personalities are trying to figure this question out.

    When Jon Stewart re-emerges Monday night as a one-night-a-week host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” he will join MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and Jen Psaki in making bespoke Monday appearances for their network, part of what has become a low-key scheduling experiment that actually has high stakes: In a medium best known for offering viewers the same hosts in the same time slots five nights a week, can TV networks that thrive on news-and-talk programs generate new attention and advertising dollars by doling them out less frequently ?

    “Monday is really appealing,” says Stephanie Morales, vice president of media intelligence at Magna, the Interpublic Group media-research firm. It tends to be the second-most-watched day of the week on linear TV, behind Sundays, she says. And viewers of talk and news programs tend to come in with headier expectations, she adds, because they anticipate the host tacking a stack of events that took place over the weekend. Mondays can be a great place to have a top newsmaker or celebrity guest, says Morales, because of the more intense viewership.

    MSNBC and Comedy Central declined to make executives available for comment.

    Their task is a difficult one. By creating a Monday-only talent slot, both networks have created what are essentially three different programs they must promote, market and book. Stewart will cede “Daily Show” broadcasts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to the program’s current group of correspondents. Maddow and Psaki make occasional appearances outside of their programs, typically when a big headline rises in the current election cycle and MSNBC offers a different sort of analysis programming in primetime that makes use of multiple contributors.

    Making sure a single day counts for more seems critical to Comedy Central, which lured Stewart back to hosting “The Daily Show” once a week for the 2024 election cycle. Prior to the news of his return, the Paramount Global network had been testing various guest hosts and the show’s own correspondent team — seemingly without much success. Roy Wood Jr., seen as a potential successor to the show’s most recent full-time host, Trevor Noah, opted to leave when Comedy Central would not offer solid details about its plans for the series. What’s more, the late-night show went dark during the recent Hollywood labor strikes, while rivals kept repeats on the air.

    The lack of original episodes may have taken a toll. Advertisers trimmed their support of “Daily” in 2023, according to Vivvix, a tracker of ad outlays. “Daily Show” generated nearly $20.2 million in ad sales in the first 10 months of 2023, compared with $39.9 million in 2022. In 2014, Stewart’s last full year as host, the show took in $129.1 million — a figure it has not matched since.

    Executives at Comedy Central see Mondays as the biggest viewing day of the week for younger audiences — especially men between 18 and 49. They also see Stewart using the day to recap events from the weekend and previous week and for setting an agenda for the week to come.  

    “Jon Stewart has the personality to bring in new unique households,” Janice Prewett, group director of media strategy at independent Dallas agency TRG. “There is more opportunity for continued ratings and unique household growth as people are exposed to short-form videos of Jon on the Internet, which could pull them toward tuning in to the show.”

    But will his presence bring more viewers to the rest of the week, when the show’s correspondents will take the lead? Stewart and his WME agent, James Dixon, will serve as executive producers of the program and will have a say on both content and talent. Whether they can grow the program for the long term, or are simply going to keep it going in an election year, remains to be seen.

    There are some signs that a Monday strategy can pay off — a little. In 2023, advertisers increased their spending on MSNBC’s Monday broadcast of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” according to data from ad-tracking company iSpot. The program’s Monday broadcast generated $4.9 million in advertising last year, am 11.6% increase over the $4.4 million in ad dollars spent in 2022, when Maddow announced that she would do Mondays only starting in May of that year.

    Meanwhile, MSNBC has also seen new ad dollars committed to its Monday 8 p.m. slot, according to iSpot. The Monday hour anchored by Chris Hayes in 2022 snared approximately $4.6 million, in 2022, a figure that jumped 21% in 2023 to $5.6 million for an hour that has been anchored by Psaki since late September (Psaki also anchors a show middays on Sunday).

    The move appears to have brought new viewers to the network’s 8 p.m. slot. In January, “Inside with Jen Psaki” on Monday nights notched a 20% gain among viewers between 25 and 54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers, along with a 7% increase in overall viewers. To be sure, such spikes might be expected given that a rotating array of hosts had been anchoring the hour in place of Hayes, who has gained time to devote to other projects for the company.

    Yet there’s little indication the move has helped MSNBC’s ratings across the rest of the week. The overall audiences generated by Maddow and Psaki on Mondays are not duplicated on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

    “We do not anticipate the specific host change to result in greater viewership. However, we anticipate a potentially small ratings boost as the political season ramps up,” says Prewett. The opportunity for MSNBC, she adds, comes in ”aligning with audiences that Jen and Rachel resonate with most,” but “once the audience settles into the change, there will likely not be a huge opportunity for unique household gains.”

    A case of the Mondays may be a tough one to solve.



    Brian Steinberg

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  • Joy Reid Caught On Hot Mic Cursing Biden: ‘Starting Another F*cking War’

    Joy Reid Caught On Hot Mic Cursing Biden: ‘Starting Another F*cking War’


    Opinion

    Screenshot/X video

    MSNBC’s Joy Reid dropped an f-bomb on Monday. The host said it on a hot mic that she likely thought wasn’t hot.

    While that in itself isn’t newsworthy, the reason for the expletive could show cracks starting to form on the left between sane people and the trigger-happy President, Joe Biden.

    RELATED: Senator Tim Scott To Serve As Trump Surrogate In Outreach To Black Voters

    ‘Another F***ing War’

    On her show The ReidOut, the host was whining about Republican opposition to President Joe Biden’s immigration “deal” that would include billions for foreign countries.

    Clearly, that’s not all that was on Reid’s mind.

    “Case in point– fixing what they say is a crisis at the border with congressional negotiators continuing work on a bipartisan deal to tie border policy changes to funding for Ukraine,” the host said, also saying that these were talks that Donald Trump is trying to sabotage.

    “Over the weekend, President Biden said he’s ready to take action if Congress is serious about solving the border issue.”

    Reid’s show aired clips of Biden’s speech on Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina.

    But during the video snippets, Reid spoke, apparently unaware her mic was still on:

    Biden: If that bill were the law today, I’d shut down the border now and I’d fix it quickly… And Congress needs to get it done.

    Reid: Starting another f*ckin’ war.

    When she was back on air, she first addressed Biden’s comments and the immigration debate.

    “Still trying to kill the deal,” Reid said, referencing Trump. “He bragged about blocking progress and said, ‘Please, please, blame him if it fails.’”

    But eventually, understanding what she thought she said off the air was heard, she addressed her remarks and apologized to viewers.

    “Before we go, I just want to apologize very quickly,” Reid said. “I was chatting during a clip that was playing, and you know, we try to keep this show very PG-13, so I just want to apologize to anyone who was listening to my ‘behind the scenes’ chatter. I deeply, deeply apologize for that.”

    Likely, her “another fuckin’ war” comments was citing the increasing tensions in the Middle East, particularly regarding Israel and Gaza. Related, three U.S. soldiers were killed in Jordan on Sunday by what the Pentagon said were Iranian proxies.

    Biden has promised action in retaliation.

    RELATED: Biden Third Year Job Approval Worst Since Jimmy Carter

    Being Honest, For a Change

    MSNBC has a habit of not criticizing this Democratic president.

    Unless they do it accidentally when they think they’re off the air.

    Joy Reid apparently had a moment of honesty.

    Then apologized for it.

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  • How To Watch The New Hampshire Primary Results

    How To Watch The New Hampshire Primary Results

    A small contingent of journalists gathered near the Canadian border earlier this morning to watch as Dixville Notch, NH, continued its tradition of casting the first ballots on an election day.

    Nikki Haley cleaned Donald Trump‘s clock in this hamlet — 6 votes to none.

    As the day goes on, network correspondents are fanning out across the state at precincts to talk to actual voters, after months in which the first-in-the-nation primary was judged and assessed by polls. Commentary and analysis is focusing on whether

    Haley and her top surrogate, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, blitzed the airwaves on Monday, while Trump held a final rally in Laconia, NH, where he predicted that Haley would be out of the race after tonight. He was interrupted by climate protesters, who have been a frequent presence at events in recent days.

    There is a Democratic race, too. Joe Biden is not on the ballot, as the Democratic National Committee mandated that South Carolina hold the first-in-the-nation primary. But New Hampshire has gone forward anyway, and Biden supporters have mounted a write-in campaign, hoping to stymie efforts by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Marianne Williamson to make some kind of surprise showing in the state.

    Broadcast networks will provide ongoing coverage of the results on their streaming channels, although special reports are possible during the primetime lineups. Polls close in some locations close at 7 p.m. ET and at 8 p.m. ET in others.

    Here are the coverage plans of the major networks:

    ABC: The streaming channel ABC News Live will provide coverage, with David Muir joining Linsey Davis at 7 p.m. ET for Your Voice, Your Vote special, with reporting from Rachel Scott, Mary Bruce, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, Eva Pilgrim, Whit Johnson and Rick Klein, among others. Donna Brazile, Reince Preibus and Sarah Isgur will provide analysis. ABC News’ Nightline will devote its full show to the caucuses.

    CBS: Norah O’Donnell will anchor CBS Evening News from Manchester, NH tonight, and she will be joined by Major Garrett for live coverage of results on CBS News Streaming starting at 8 p.m. ET. Garrett also will anchor an hourlong edition of America Decides from New Hampshire at 5 p.m. ET. Coverage also will include analysis from John Dickerson and Anthony Salvanto, with reporting from Robert Costa, Ed O’Keefe, Fin Gómez and Caitlin Huey-Burns reporting from New Hampshire. Tony Dokoupil has been reporting from the state for CBS Mornings. Dickerson will anchor a special edition of CBS News Prime Time on CBS Streaming starting at 7 p.m. ET.

    NBC: Tom Llamas will kick off coverage at 5 p.m. ET on NBC News Now, and will be joined by Hallie Jackson in New Hampshire and Chuck Todd and Steve Kornacki breaking down the results. Kristen Welker, who moderated Meet the Press from the Granite State on Sunday, will be back in New York to join Lester Holt for a network special report. She will pick up coverage from Llamas on NBC News Now starting at 10 p.m. ET.

    CNN: Following coverage throughout the day, Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper anchor coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET, with Dana Bash anchoring live from New Hampshire, joined by Kasie Hunt, Chris Wallace and Jeff Zeleny. Erin Burnett will lead analysis with Kaitlan Collins, Abby Phillip, Audie Cornish and Manu Raju from Washington, and Audie Cornish from New York. David Chalian will provide polling and delegate analysis, and John King will break down results at the Magic Wall, and Phil Mattingly and Harry Enten will provide updates. Laura Coates and Erica HIll will anchor overnight coverage starting at 1 a.m. ET. The caucus coverage will stream live without a cable log in from 7 p.m. ET on Monday to 5 a.m. ET via CNN.com.

    Fox News: Following a two-hour Special Report with Bret Baier at 6 p.m. ET, the network plans coverage during its primetime shows Jesse Watters Primetime and Hannity. Baier and Martha MacCallum will a special Democracy 2024: New Hampshire Primary starting at 10 p.m. ET, with analysis from Brit Hume, Dana Perino, Trey Gowdy, Charles Payne and Kellyanne Conway. Bill Hemmer will analyze results on the Bill-board, while Sandra Smith will present voter analysis from New York. Trace Gallagher will anchor post-caucus analysis on Fox News @ Night at midnight ET, followed by a two-hour special at 2 a.m. ET with Mike Emanuel and Gillian Turner.

    MSNBC: Jen Psaki kicks off special coverage from New Hamoshire at 4 p.m. ET, followed by Rachel Maddow with Decision 2024 starting at 6 p.m. ET. She will be joined by Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Alex Wagner, Lawrence O’Donnell and Stephanie Ruhle. Steve Kornacki will be at the Big Board throughout the evening. Psaki will continue special coverage at midnight ET.

    PBS: Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett anchor coverage from Washington, D.C. starting at 6 p.m. ET, with reporting from Lisa Desjardins in New Hampshire. Desjardins will give an update at 9 p.m. ET, and live coverage will start at 11 p.m. ET.

    NewsNation: Chris Cuomo, Dan Abrams and Elizabeth Vargas will anchor Decision Desk HQ 2024: The New Hampshire Primary starting at 7 p.m. ET. Connell McShane is breaking down results, while Leland Vittert and Chris Stirewalt will offer news and analysis from the Granite State. Brian Entin, Kellie Meyer and Joe Khalil will provide additional reporting.

    C-SPAN: Starting at 8 p.m. ET, the network will provide candidate victory and concession speeches, viewer calls and social media reaction.

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  • MSNBC Host Trolls ‘Shameless’ Ron DeSantis For ‘Cringe’ Campaign Ending

    MSNBC Host Trolls ‘Shameless’ Ron DeSantis For ‘Cringe’ Campaign Ending

    Ayman Mohyeldin sends DeSantis off with a look at some of his most awkward moments on and off the campaign trail.

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