Skip to comments.
Chris Matthews Announces Retirement From MSNBC
Hollywood Reporter ^ | 3/2 | Jeremy Barr
Posted on 3/2/2020, 7:14:09 PM by nickcarraway
The 'Hardball' host made the shock announcement on Monday night, after more than 20 years at the network. MSNBC host Chris Matthews announced his retirement from the network on Monday night after more than 20 years at the left-leaning cable channel.
He will be replaced at 7 p.m. by a rotating group of hosts.
While Matthews was expected to retire in the near future, the sudden announcement comes amid of a series of recent flaps and controversies.
Last Monday, Matthews apologized to Bernie Sanders for comparing his rise in the 2020 campaign to the German invasion of France.
"Let me start with my headline tonight: "I'm retiring," Matthews said. "This is the last Hardball on MSNBC, and obviously this isn't for lack of interest in politics. As you can tell, I've loved every minute of my 20 years as host of Hardball. Every morning I read the papers and I'm gung-ho to get to work. Not many people have had this privilege."
Matthews continued: "I love working with my producers and the discussions we have over how to report the news, and I love having this connection with you, the good people who watch. I've learned who you are, bumping into you on the sidewalk or waiting at an airport and saying hello."
"After a conversation with MSNBC, I decided tonight will be my last Hardball, so let me tell you why," he said. "The younger generation is out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, in the media, in fighting for the causes. They have improved the workplace. We're talking about better standards than we grew up with: fair standards."
Matthews signed off after his initial announcement and was replaced on Monday's show by Steve Kornacki.
"Chris Matthews is a giant, he's a legend," Kornacki said. "it's an honor for me to work with him, to sit in for him on occasion. I think you're going to miss him, and I know I'm going to."
FACEBOOK TWITTER