MSNBC host Jen Psaki candidly acknowledged Tuesday, April 22, that her network’s liberal-leaning audience tunes in specifically for coverage of President Trump that skews negative in nature. The former Biden White House press secretary made these revelations during an appearance on “The Grill Room” podcast with Dylan Byers.
“There’s obviously a rooted value in the kind of … that MSNBC viewers expect of like we’re going to talk about the opposition, and we’re going to talk about what the opposing party is up to, in terms of the Democrats, and we’re going to talk about future leaders and things,” Psaki told Byers. “And we’re also going to talk about Trump, and it’s typically not going to be positive. I don’t think anybody watching expects it to be positive, right?”
Psaki elaborated that while there isn’t an explicit directive written down for hosts, there’s an implicit understanding about the network’s approach to covering the president. She noted that despite featuring Republicans on her program, she has never received instructions from network leadership to appeal more to right-leaning viewers.
“I have not experienced this like, ‘You have to move to the center, you have to have Republicans on, you have to be more moderate, you can’t say that thing,'” she explained. Psaki added that while each show at the network has its own direction, they all operate under a shared general approach.
These comments come as Psaki is positioned to benefit from a significant restructuring at MSNBC. In February, the network announced that Psaki would take over the 9 p.m. primetime slot on Thursdays and Fridays, replacing Alex Wagner. This change is part of a broader shakeup implemented by new network president Rebecca Kutler, whom Psaki described as a “big advocate” of her show.
The reorganization at MSNBC has resulted in significant personnel changes, with shows hosted by Ayman Mohyeldin, Jonathan Capehart, Katie Phang, and Jose Diaz-Balart being canceled. The network also made headlines by removing Trump critic Joy Reid from her position.
The restructuring has reduced “The Rachel Maddow Show” from four nights per week to just Mondays. Psaki, who joined MSNBC in May 2022 after leaving the Biden administration, will now occupy part of Maddow’s former timeslot.
During the podcast, Byers questioned whether MSNBC could evolve beyond being “a scream pillow for the left,” noting Maddow’s significant influence in shaping policy discussions during the height of her popularity. Psaki responded by acknowledging Maddow’s unique position at the network.
“First of all, there is only one Rachel Maddow,” Psaki stated, highlighting how Maddow had covered the intense protests against Trump during his first 100 days in office. She indicated that Maddow has advised colleagues not to project fear onto viewers who are already anxious, suggesting they should also highlight other developments.
The network changes have sparked internal criticism. Some MSNBC insiders have expressed frustration with Kutler’s leadership, describing her as “tough and very corporate” and criticizing decisions to remove hosts who “made history” at the network. Maddow herself has publicly criticized the removal of Reid, describing it as “a bad mistake” and “unnerving” given Reid’s status as one of only two non-white primetime hosts.
The staffing changes come amid a challenging period for MSNBC and its parent company Comcast, which is reportedly preparing to separate the liberal-leaning network from NBCUniversal. This has created uncertainty among staff members about the network’s future direction.
Psaki has faced her own challenges at the network. Following President Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Trump in June, Psaki offered frank assessments of her former boss’s mental acuity. When Biden later withdrew from the presidential race, Psaki had the difficult task of informing MSNBC viewers of this development when the news broke during her program.
Looking ahead, Psaki offered thoughts on the current political landscape for Democrats. She observed that there is “no clear leader” of the Democratic Party at present. She suggested that this creates opportunities for fresh approaches, stating that “what is clear is that things shouldn’t be done how they were done in the past.” Psaki expressed optimism about the conversations this might generate, noting there is “much more information than when the party is in charge of everything.”
The network is also consolidating its operations in New York and Washington, D.C., planning to end its Miami-based productions as part of broader restructuring efforts similar to those seen across the media industry. Other major outlets including CNN and The Washington Post have likewise undergone significant layoffs and reorganizations in recent months.
