Rachel Maddow very subtly gave Lawrence O’Donnell an endorsement that sounded like she doesn’t want to see The Last Word host leave MSNBC when his contract expires in June.
This is how Maddow handed off the show to O’Donnell on Tuesday night:
"I consider us a team," @maddow says to @Lawrence as she hands show over to him.
Sure doesn't sound like he's going anywhere.
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— Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) May 17, 2017
However, Lawrence O’Donnell confirmed on Wednesday that his contract expires soon as of right now, he doesn’t have a new deal:
Contract expires June 4. I'll let you know where you can watch me June 5 if it's not msnbc. I'm sorry this situation has become public. https://t.co/bS8V8GXbZ1
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) May 17, 2017
If other reporting is to be believed, MSNBC wants O’Donnell to stay. The Last Word host also wants to stay. The issue is that Comcast has been getting pressure from Donald Trump to fire Lawrence O’Donnell. It says a lot about the world we live in that report stating that a cable news host may lose his job because the President can’t stand his criticism is at least worth pondering as credible.
Never underestimate the influence of Rachel Maddow at MSNBC. She hosts the highest-rated show on the network, and with MSNBC now beating Fox News, it would be borderline insane to break up the primetime lineup.
Rachel Maddow has made her feelings clear Lawrence O’Donnell’s future at MSNBC. Let’s hope her bosses at Comcast listen to her and get a new contract done.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association