Former MSNBC host Joy Reid engaged in a heated confrontation with British television personality Piers Morgan during a Thursday, July 17, 2025, interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.” Reid accused Morgan of ambushing her with racially charged questions about her recent departure from the network.
The confrontation centered on Reid’s assertions that her race and gender influenced MSNBC‘s decision to cancel “The ReidOut” in February 2025 amid broader network restructuring. Morgan challenged these claims, suggesting that declining viewership was the primary factor behind the cancellation.
Reid’s show faced significant ratings challenges before its cancellation. Viewing data indicated “The ReidOut” averaged 973,000 total viewers in February 2025, a 28% decline from the 1.3 million viewers it attracted in February 2024. Despite this, Reid claimed her program experienced smaller declines compared to other MSNBC shows and questioned the reasoning behind its termination.
During the interview, Morgan directly confronted Reid’s characterization of her departure, suggesting she was terminated due to declining popularity rather than racial bias. Reid accused Morgan of fixating on race, stating that he was “fixated on trying to racialize conversations.”
The exchange intensified when Morgan interrupted Reid, asserting she had “racialize[d] more conversations in your tenure at MSNBC than any host in history.” This comment appeared to reference Reid’s history of racially charged commentary, including controversial statements about Black Republican politicians and conservative figures.
Reid’s tenure at MSNBC included several contentious race-related discussions. She previously referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas using a derogatory nickname for his conservative views. In 2021, Reid made disparaging remarks about Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, suggesting his inclusion at a Republican press conference was for diversity optics. She also criticized Representative Byron Donalds of Florida similarly that year.
The interview also addressed Reid’s earlier controversial blog posts. Morgan confronted Reid about homophobic content from a Florida-based blog she operated, which became controversial in 2018. These incidents added tension to their exchange.
Reid previously discussed her perspective on viewer reactions in an interview with podcaster Marc Lamont Hill. She suggested that being a Black woman made white viewers more upset when disagreeing with her views on political and social issues. Reid referenced this interview during her exchange with Morgan, accusing him of selectively editing her comments to fit his narrative.
Morgan dismissed Reid’s accusations about his interviewing approach, describing her focus on racial issues as a strategy that had lost its effectiveness with audiences. He suggested viewers had grown tired of her tendency to inject racial considerations into various topics during her time hosting “The ReidOut.”
The confrontation highlighted broader tensions within cable news regarding discussions of race and programming decisions. Reid’s departure from MSNBC coincided with significant network changes, as multiple shows faced cancellation or restructuring amid the evolving cable news landscape.
Throughout the interview, Reid maintained that Morgan employed unfair tactics and attempted to create controversy by focusing on racial aspects. She characterized his approach as representing a double standard, especially in how people of color are treated when discussing racial issues compared to white commentators.
The heated exchange between Reid and Morgan highlights ongoing debates within media circles about the role of race in programming decisions, audience preferences, and acceptable discourse boundaries on television news programs. Both participants maintained their positions throughout the interview, with neither conceding ground on their fundamental disagreements about Reid’s departure from MSNBC.
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