Amid falling ratings since the November presidential election, MSNBC is shaking things up before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20. The network announced Tuesday, Jan. 14, that President Rashida Jones is stepping down but will stay on in an advisory role through March.
Jones said she is stepping down to “pursue other opportunities.” Senior Vice President of Content Strategy Rebecca Kutler, who previously spearheaded CNN+ in 2022, will take over as interim president.
The company also revealed Monday, Jan. 13, that Rachel Maddow, the network’s most popular host, will temporarily return to the anchor desk five days a week for Trump’s first 100 days in office.
MSNBC was reportedly the second most-watched cable news behind Fox News during the November election but has seen a sharp drop in ratings since then.
Beginning next week, Maddow will be on the anchor desk from Monday through Friday. Current anchor Alex Wagner will be deployed to cover Trump’s policies over his first 100 days.
The shift comes as MSNBC hedges its bets on viewers returning with a heightened interest in Trump as he takes office for a second term, according to the network’s leaders.
Maddow echoed that sentiment, telling USA Today that she believes viewers will want a “frontline perspective” of Trump’s early policies. Maddow and Wagner will return to normal programming after April 30, 2025.
