Former MSNBC host Joy Reid participated in a contentious exchange with British TV personality Piers Morgan on July 17, 2025, during an interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.” Reid accused Morgan of ambushing her with questions about the racial dynamics surrounding her recent exit from the network.
The discussion revolved around Reid’s claim that her race and gender played roles in MSNBC‘s choice to end “The ReidOut” in February 2025, amidst a broader network restructuring. Morgan challenged this narrative, attributing the decision primarily to falling viewership.
Reid’s program faced significant ratings challenges leading up to its cancellation. Data showed “The ReidOut” averaged 973,000 total viewers in February 2025, marking a 28% decrease from the 1.3 million viewers in February 2024. Despite this, Reid asserted her show had less decline compared to other MSNBC programs and questioned the rationale behind its cancellation.
During the interview, Morgan confronted Reid’s interpretation of her departure, suggesting her termination was due to declining popularity rather than racial bias. Reid accused Morgan of being “fixated on trying to racialize conversations.”
The exchange escalated when Morgan interrupted Reid, claiming she had “racialize[d] more conversations in your tenure at MSNBC than any host in history.” This comment appeared to refer to Reid’s prior racially charged commentary, including controversial statements about Black Republican politicians and conservative figures.
Reid’s tenure at MSNBC involved several contentious discussions on race. She once referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with a derogatory nickname due to his conservative stance. In 2021, Reid criticized Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, suggesting his presence at a Republican press conference was purely for diversity optics. She also criticized Representative Byron Donalds of Florida similarly that year.
The interview also touched upon Reid’s earlier controversial blog posts. Morgan questioned Reid about homophobic content from a Florida-based blog she operated, which became controversial in 2018, adding tension to their exchange.
Reid discussed her perspective on viewer reactions in a previous interview with podcaster Marc Lamont Hill. She proposed that being a Black woman led to heightened upset among white viewers when they disagreed with her views. Reid referenced this interview during her exchange with Morgan, accusing him of selectively editing her comments to fit his narrative.
Morgan dismissed Reid’s accusations regarding his interviewing style, describing her focus on racial issues as a diminishing strategy with audiences. He suggested viewers had grown tired of her tendency to bring racial considerations into various topics during her time hosting “The ReidOut.”
The confrontation underscored broader tensions within cable news concerning race discussions and programming decisions. Reid’s exit from MSNBC occurred alongside significant network changes, as multiple shows faced cancellation or restructuring amidst the evolving cable news landscape.
Throughout the interview, Reid maintained that Morgan employed unfair tactics and sought to create controversy by focusing on racial aspects. She described his approach as representing a double standard, particularly in how people of color are treated when discussing racial issues compared to white commentators.
The heated exchange between Reid and Morgan highlights ongoing debates within media circles about the role of race in programming decisions, audience preferences, and acceptable discourse boundaries on television news programs. Both participants held firm to their positions throughout the interview, with neither conceding ground on their fundamental disagreements about Reid’s departure from MSNBC.