Ousted MSNBC host Joy Reid welcomed her fellow network stars onto her canceled show during its last minutes on Monday night to bid her a final farewell and reflect on their time together.
The network announced the sudden cancellation of “The ReidOut” on Sunday night after four and a half years on the air.
Reid used her final hour on television for the foreseeable future to remind her audience about the importance of remaining vigilant and advocating against “fascism” as she welcomed MSNBC anchors Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, and Lawrence O’Donnell to the broadcast.
The show’s axing came amid restructuring at the network following former MSNBC President Rashida Jones’ departure and Rebecca Kutler’s take over. Reid’s show was also highly controversial following her frequent criticism of white people and focus on issues like Black Lives Matter, the Israel-Palestine conflict, immigration, and other polarizing topics.
The liberal host has also been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, who even celebrated her show’s cancellation and deemed her an “obnoxious racist.”
As the final minutes ticked, she welcomed MSNBC mainstays Maddow, Wallace, and O’Donnell, who each came prepared to pay her homage.
“Well, first I want to say that I love you, Joy, and that I am bereft that ‘The ReidOut’ is ending. I really I just can’t even I sort of can’t get beyond that. So I want to say that. But that is also part of what I think I have to say to the country about this moment, which is find people who you respect and trust and love and make common cause with them and help, you know, help yourself by learning from them and help them by standing up for them. And I think we have tried to do that,” Maddow said.
Reid lauded Maddow for her praise and returned her compliments by unofficially knighting her as the network’s “fearless leader.”
Wallace went a step further and even equated Reid’s departure to “losing a limb.”
“And I think that my reaction to the end of ‘The ReidOut’ and your departure is despair. And the only thing that chips away at that for me, is that despair is the autocrat’s tool. It’s their most effective weapon. It costs nothing. It’s easy to deploy, it’s contagious. And then it puts in motion all the actions they want. Hopelessness. Isolation. Exasperation. Giving up. And so the only reason I will not wallow in what I feel about you leaving is, is because I think that’s what they want,” Wallace said.
O’Donnell wrapped up the panel of praise and succinctly said that working with Reid had been “an honor.” He also highlighted Reid’s accomplishments over the years, including her many published books and her work towards bettering civil rights and democracy.
The emptied time slot will be filled by a panel show co-hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez who all currently lead “The Weekend.” Until then, it will feature a series of different hosts on a rotating basis.
