MSNBC has handed a major promotion to longtime Democratic operative Jen Psaki, elevating her to the network’s critical 9:00 p.m. Eastern time slot from Tuesday through Friday, USA Today reported Wednesday.
Psaki, best known as President Joe Biden’s former White House press secretary and a veteran of Obama-era politics, will now anchor a show titled The Briefing, effectively becoming MSNBC’s new face of prime-time liberal commentary.
The move comes at the clear expense of Rachel Maddow, once the network’s biggest star, who is being pushed back to just one show per week — a stark fall for someone who dominated left-wing cable news for nearly two decades.
MSNBC claims Psaki’s show will lean on her “decades-long experiences on campaign buses, in the Oval Office, at the State Department, and in the briefing room” to analyze daily political stories. However, critics note her résumé reads more like a Democratic Party playbook than anything resembling objective journalism.
Psaki’s deep ties to Democratic administrations and her long record of sharp attacks against Republicans — particularly President Trump — signal that MSNBC’s partisan bent is only set to intensify under her prime-time leadership.
The decision to sideline Maddow, another proud progressive, in favor of Psaki shows MSNBC is betting that even stronger Democrat messaging is the future of its brand, rather than broadening its appeal to independent or conservative viewers.
Psaki insists she will bring “a fresh approach” to political commentary, telling USA Today she wanted to change the name of her show to reflect that “insiders don’t have all the answers.” But conservatives have good reason to doubt Psaki’s commitment to real balance, given her past record of spinning for Biden and attacking Trump at every turn.
In reality, Psaki’s fast rise at MSNBC is just more proof that the network has little interest in hiding its role as a megaphone for the Democratic Party — a decision that will likely continue to alienate critics and fuel its reputation as a one-sided outlet.
