MSNBC’s Chris Matthews shocked the media world on Monday night by opening his “Hardball” show with an announcement that he was retiring effective immediately.
To make the situation even weirder, he was gone after the commercial break.
Mediaite reports:
BREAKING: Chris Matthews Out at MSNBC
Chris Matthews announced his abrupt retirement from MSNBC Monday night after more than two decades at the network.
The MSNBC mainstay made the stunning announcement at the start of Monday’s night edition of Hardball, a show that has for years been a staple of the network’s politics programming.
It also became a thorn for MSNBC brass in recent weeks as Matthews was accused of sexual harassment and came under increasing fire for his often out-of-touch commentary.
“Let me start with my headline tonight,” Matthews said. “I’m retiring. This is the last Hardball on MSNBC.”
“After conversations with MSNBC I decided tonight would be my last Hardball, so let me tell you why,” Matthews said. “The younger generations out there are ready to take the reins. You see them in politics, in the media, in fighting for the causes.”
“A lot of them have to do with how we talk to each other,” he continued. “Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, included me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay, were never okay. Not then and certainly not today, and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.”
Watch the video below:
— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) March 3, 2020
Chris’s MSNBC colleague Steve Kornacki seemed absolutely shocked when they came back from the commercial break.
And here's the shot when the commercial break ended and the camera cut to a stunned Steve Kornacki, who was obviously not prepared for Chris Matthews' announcement, nor to fill in the hour of airtime when #Hardball would usually run. pic.twitter.com/idqhwvi3rl
— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) March 3, 2020
Who will replace Matthews on the network?
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