Rachel Maddow, a prominent news correspondent for MSNBC and host of The Rachel Maddow Show, has been quick to criticize networks, even her own, for giving coverage to former President Donald Trump.
In October 2020, PopCulture reported that Maddow “made her disapproval clear” after NBC, MSNBC’s parent company, aired a Town Hall meeting featuring Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, Maddow interrupted MSNBC’s live feed of Trump’s “Super Tuesday” victory speech by saying dismissively, “Yeah. OK.”
According to a report on MSN, Maddow explained her interruption, saying she was not “100% happy with” her network’s decision to give Trump airtime and felt compelled to step in “when we can predict [Trump] is going to lie.”
“I will say that it is a decision that we revisit constantly in terms of the balance between allowing somebody to knowingly lie on your air about things they’ve lied about before and you can predict they are going to lie about,” Maddow said.
“And so, therefore, it is just irresponsible to allow them to do that,” Maddow continued. “It’s a balance between knowing that that’s irresponsible to broadcast and also knowing that, as the soon-to-be de facto nominee of the Republican Party, this is not only the man who is likely to be the Republican candidate for president, but this is the way he’s running.”
Maddow took similar action when Trump gave a victory speech following his first primary win in Iowa.
As Trump was making his introductory comments, Maddow cut away and took over the feed, saying, “At this point in the evening, the projected winner of the Iowa caucuses has just started giving his victory speech. We will keep an eye on that as it happens.”
The news host added: “We will let you know if there is any news made in that speech or if there is anything noteworthy, substantive, or important.”
MSNBC did not return to the speech nor comment on Trump’s statements during the remainder of the evening’s broadcast.
X users argue that Maddow’s statements and actions highlight the political bias in many mainstream media outlets.
Rachel Maddow: ‘Irresponsible to Broadcast‘ Trump‘s Victory Speech https://t.co/3q71qI3axL via @BreitbartNews
Madow says it's irresponsible to show Trumps super Tuesday speech.
This is an absolute admission that she along with her show and station are totally biased!— Robert Bardos (@RobertBardos2) March 6, 2024
MSNBC co-host Stephanie Ruhle questioned Maddow’s quickness to censor, saying, “Well, here’s how we balance it. Why don’t we fact-check the hell out of him?”
PJ Media mocked Maddow’s reticence in allowing reporting on matters of national importance if network executives did not share the views expressed.
PJ Media reported: “The woman is bereft of self-awareness. Donald Trump is a politician. So is Joe Biden. If you can listen to a politician talk for more than two minutes without telling a lie or two, either you’re not listening, or you’re so besotted with partisanship that you’re totally unaware of how biased your point of view is.”
