Donald Trump will be one of the memorable presidents who has used social media to its full potential! Why do we say so? In recent news, Trump glorified MSNBC’s cancellation of host Joy Reid’s show “The ReidOut “as part of a major network shake-up. The president-elect made sure to voice his thoughts about it on social media.
In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump condemned Comcast chairman Brian Roberts and MSNBC hosts, calling negative coverage of him an “unpardonable sin.” He mocked Reid’s ratings and said she should have been fired long ago. He also spoke about journalists Alex Wagner, Rachel Maddow, and Al Sharpton, claiming MSNBC was biased and should pay for the “damage” it caused.
For those who know, MSNBC is a prominent American news network known for its left-leaning coverage and opinion-driven shows. Launched in 1996, it features hard news, which is a mix of political talk shows, all the latest news stories, and in-depth reporting surrounding topics of investigative journalism. It has been Donald Trump’s critics for ages. Moreover, popular hosts like Rachel Maddow have countered his political statements and slammed his agenda.
As per the outlet Raw Story, the giant telecommunication company Comcast, which owns the news channel, recently announced plans to spin off MSNBC, CNBC, and other media outlets into a separate company, which Tesla founder Elon Musk has shown interest in buying.
New network president Rebecca Kutler is carving out a plan for additional programming changes to take place, which has sparked speculation about its future. This step will be carried out despite the fact that viewership has shot up 77 per cent during prime time hours and 34 per cent in total day viewers since Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025.
In addition, Donald Trump’s late-night update indicated that the President was quite relieved that the lineup within the channel would change. In his post, Donald Trump also aimed at Alex Wagner, calling her the failed substitute for Rachel Maddow. He claimed Maddow rarely appears on air because she knows no one is watching and has little on-screen presence—except, perhaps, Joy Reid.
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As per the outlet MSN, He then criticized Al Sharpton, referring to him as a low-IQ con man with the lowest TV ratings in history. Trump questioned how Sharpton managed to stay on the air and accused MSNBC of being a fake extension of the Democratic Party. Furthermore, Trump has always blasted the new channel and viewed it as an enemy of his administration.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has previously shown his dislike for mainstream media and agreed with Donald Trump that perhaps mainstream channels seem to be biased toward conservatives. In the past few months, Donald Trump has spared no one when it came to changing policies, adding rules and calling out loopholes in the system.
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Previously, The Trump administration had also barred The Associated Press (AP) from attending Oval Office press events, reportedly due to the AP’s refusal to refer to the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ as ‘the Gulf of America.’ Therefore, with Trump in charge, the media’s role is a battleground in American politics. It will perhaps take a new turn in 2025. What are your thoughts? Stay tuned for further updates about this.