The majority of MSNBC staffers who produced Rachel Maddow’s primetime evening program are being let go as part of the network’s shakeup.
While Maddow will get to keep her executive producer and other senior producers, the rest are being given the option of applying for new positions at the network or claiming severance.
The Maddow team was let go because of a quirk of how they worked on both Maddow’s show and Alex Wagner’s show, when Maddow scaled back to hosting only Mondays and Wagner hosted Tuesday to Friday.
Maddow is currently hosting five nights a week for the first 100 days of the Trump administration, but when she returns to Mondays only and the programming shake-up takes effect on 21 April, Jen Psaki, the former Biden White House press secretary, will take over the Tuesday-to-Friday slot.
An MSNBC source said that the changes were not “widespread layoffs” but rather the reallocation of producers to support new programs and priorities. They said the new roles were being posted internally first and would not be posted externally until affected employees had had a chance to reapply.
The manner of the personnel changes – having employees reapply for roles in time slots they already produce – are unprecedented at MSNBC at this scale. Typically, MSNBC has taken great pains to redistribute staffers without laying them off after shows have been cancelled. (The Guardian)
Maddow did not take some of the changes well, accusing the network—while on air—of racism for axing Joy Reid's show.
NO JOY: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow in the wake of Joy Reid's show being cancelled: "I think it is a bad mistake…"
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 25, 2025
She then accuses MSNBC bosses of being racist:
It’s "unnerving" to see the network's decision to cancel shows hosted by nonwhite anchors: "That feels indefensible." pic.twitter.com/qBXhsYwmkX
As some reminded, Reid is being replaced by two black anchors and one Latina anchor.
Joy Reid was replaced by two African-American anchors and a Latina anchor. But sure, everything is racist. Crying wolf to protect very rich, powerful minorities among the elites hurts the real cause of fighting racism. https://t.co/JCCGqL2JaI
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) February 24, 2025
She was also emotional about the latest news.
🚨NEW: Rachel Maddow’s program sees major cuts, loses majority of staff.
— Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) February 26, 2025
This comes as MSNBC continues to see wide spread cuts and layoffs.
Joy Ried had her show canceled yesterday.
Maddow actually cried about it and attacked her boss for firing her.
Wonder if Joy will… pic.twitter.com/rkQh9n6Djs
Rachel Maddow: MSNBC is racist for firing Joy Reid
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) February 26, 2025
MSNBC: Remember that staff you had, Rachel? pic.twitter.com/T5ZGLb7S71