On her Monday night program, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow delivered an impassioned and at times forceful rebuke of the recent changes to the network's lineup, as well as the way in which staffers were being treated by management.
On the Tuesday evening edition of All In With Chris Hayes, Chris Hayes also spoke about the changes and of his longtime friendships with Joy Reid and Alex Wagner.
Here are his complete comments.
Before we go, I just want to say something about my friend Joy Reid.
I have been hosting a show on this network now for nearly 14 years and for the overwhelming majority of that time - basically all of that time - one of my dearest colleagues has been Joy. We've been working together over a decade.
I first had her on as a guest on my weekend show back in September 2012 discussing the Obama recovery. Since then, we have been together at the table many times. I've been on her show, she's been on my show. We've been together in the field multiple times. Including for a special in Philadelphia on racism that was nominated for an Emmy. I was really proud of that show.
She was even a guest on our very first live show back in 2019, we used to do those pre-COVID. In 2023, when we did a live taping of our podcast "Why Is This Happening?," one of the highlights, really of any live broadcast or podcast I've ever done was interviewing Joy.
I got to learn about her incredible personal history, including how she moved to Florida as an aspiring filmmaker with two kids and ended up in morning news.
It was a really devastating blow that the Joy Reid show ended last night and that she is leaving MSNBC altogether. I am really going to miss her enormously.
I am also absolutely, completely confident that she is going to continue to be a central voice in American politics at this critical time. Particularly at a time when media is expanding in all sort of amazing ways and people are doing all kinds of new things.
But it's not just Joy. We've had a lot of shakeups here, as I know you have heard. My dear friend of 20 years, the brilliant and supremely talented broadcaster Alex Wagner, who I have known since college, will not be returning to her hour. So I will not be throwing to her each night at the end of my show and I am going to miss that.
Luckily, Alex is staying here at MSNBC as a senior political analyst and she is going to be a fixture here on this show, constantly. Sharing her insights and reporting from the field.
These shakeups are not just happening in front of the camera. As I talk to you tonight, there are dozens and dozens of people inside this building and in other offices who put all these shows on the air who are freaked out, uncertain about their future.
And I just want to say that all of us in front of the camera understand deeply, viscerally, how important their work is, how essential they are. And all of us are committed fully to supporting them in any way we can.
Without producers, there's no show. Can't do it. Something that Joy understands deeply.
And I just want to say that I am going to miss Joy's voice. I'm going to miss Alex at nine. I'm going to miss my other colleagues in their positions.
Believe me, we understand how important covering the news is right now. And we're not going to go anywhere. And we are also going to look out for the people who work here. Who are essential in doing this work. That we all feel together, collectively, is so necessary in this moment.
We know what we are here to do. And we are going to keep doing it.
You have my word on that.