What did Joy Reid say about Trump? Controversy explained as host suspects POTUS involvement in MSNBC firing

MSNBC suddenly canceled Joy Reid's primetime program, "The ReidOut," at the beginning of 2025. This action astonished many people. Reid left the network without giving a public reason. She was noted for her sharp critique of American politics and race relations.

After Reid left, she was honest about her feelings regarding the reasons for her firing. She said it was because many media outlets were "anxious" about attacking President Trump, a topic she frequently spoke about.

When well-known presenters think or are taught that criticism has to be "toned down," it makes people wonder about the independence of the media and editorial staff.

Joy Reid suspects POTUS' involvement in the MSNBC firing and disclosed her opinion about Trump

During her appearance on The Breakfast Club, Joy Reid discussed the reasons for her being fired from the media outlet. Reid claimed that it was common for cable news networks not to overtly reject Trump when questioned about it.

She said that producers and executives from several networks were telling presenters to "do less Trump" and focus on lighter subjects. Reid said she was ordered to cut down on her Twitter use because of "a real anxiety about anything on social media" that would offend the president or his supporters, which also applied to social media.

Reid told Katie Couric in an interview that many speakers had spoken out against Trump, but her comments had a bigger effect because they were exceptionally strong, since she is a Black woman pointing to Trump's dislike for Black female journalists. She said,

“I think that there is a difference for Trump in hearing the kinds of criticisms specifically out of a Black woman. It bothers him in a way it doesn’t bother him like anything else.”

Joy Reid said that her program regularly spoke about America's racial past, which she thought was directly against Trump's ideological aspirations. She argued that her racial and cultural perspectives were important for understanding current politics.

She compared her background (she is the daughter of immigrants from what Trump looks down upon) with the network's attempts to provide more impartial coverage.

Reid stated that Trump's lawsuit against CBS over a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris is another indicator that he intends to penalize press organizations that report unfavourable news.

There were similar stories on ABC's "The View," where the hosts were told to stop being so harsh on Trump in their political commentary. She believed this was another indication that the freedom of the press is controlled.

Joy Reid said that there was no actual reason for her show to be canceled. Even though her numbers were really good, she lost viewers after the 2024 election. But Rachel Maddow still called her exit interview "scripted" and "perfunctory," and she didn't mention any performance metrics or specific mistakes she made while live.

The program was canceled as part of a bigger change at MSNBC, and other progressive, non-white hosts lost their jobs as well. Some people thought this was a move toward a more centrist and white list, while others said it was an assault on diversity.

The Guardian says that many people think political pressure affected the network's decisions since the restructuring happened at the same time as the Trump administration was looking more closely at Comcast (MSNBC's parent company) for its diversity efforts.

Joy Reid didn't directly say that Trump is the reason behind her firing, but she also hinted at it being a possibility. Reid said that, since the administration was being mindful and there was political pressure from outside. Her views, notably her on-air critiques of the president, may have made her a unique target for removal.

Joy Reid's thoughts on her resignation from MSNBC reflect a complex web of factors, including the challenges of giving honest political commentary in a divided media landscape, the influence of race on editorial decisions, and the way presidential pressure shapes network tastes. Her comments have sparked important conversations about press freedom and the role of identity in political journalism.

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