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Breaking: Aircraft down in Potomac River near Reagan National Airport
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Trump goes too far: Zeal to dismantle federal government triggers public outrage
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Exclusive: Rachel Maddow interviews MN Governor Tim Walz as Trump plots end of U.S. government
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Full interview: Rachel Maddow talks with the bishop who asked Trump directly to show mercy
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‘An Earth 2 address’: An MSNBC prime time panel reacts to Trump’s inauguration address
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In an exclusive interview, Rachel Maddow interviews Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, former Democratic nominee for vice president, in his first interview since the election, about how the Donald Trump administration’s ill-advised freeze of federal funds exposes the role of Project 2025 in the Trump administration’s plans, and Trump’s ultimate goal of destroying the U.S. government. Jan. 29, 2025
Breaking: Aircraft down in Potomac River near Reagan National Airport
13:33
Trump goes too far: Zeal to dismantle federal government triggers public outrage
10:00
Now Playing
Exclusive: Rachel Maddow interviews MN Governor Tim Walz as Trump plots end of U.S. government
08:09
UP NEXT
Trump spares no expense wasting taxpayer money on deportation plane photo-op stunt
08:19
‘Untrustworthy’: Past colleagues of Trump’s FBI pick, Kash Patel, warn he makes stuff up
11:49
‘Appalling’: January 6 prosecutor voices outrage at Trump pardoning ‘very dangerous people’
11:59
On a recent episode of The Rachel Maddow Show, host Rachel Maddow sat down with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to discuss the latest developments in the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. government.
Governor Walz expressed deep concerns about the President’s actions, citing his disregard for democratic norms and the rule of law. He emphasized the importance of protecting the institutions that uphold our democracy and the need for elected officials to hold the President accountable.
The interview shed light on the growing tension between the Trump administration and state governments, as well as the challenges facing states in maintaining their autonomy in the face of federal overreach.
As the Trump administration continues to push its agenda of dismantling government institutions, Governor Walz urged Americans to stay informed, engaged, and vigilant in defending our democracy.
For more insights on this critical issue, be sure to watch the full interview on The Rachel Maddow Show. #ProtectOurDemocracy #DefendInstitutions
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Rachel Maddow, Tim Walz, Trump, U.S. government, interview, politics, news, Minnesota Governor, current events, conspiracy theory, government shutdown, presidential administration
This weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” roasted MSNBC in a skit ridiculing the left-wing cable news network about everything from its hysteria-prone coverage of President-elect Trump to its anchors’ personalities and appearances.
The segment featured Sarah Sherman as Rachel Maddow — complete with the host’s signature close-cropped hairstyle and thick-rimmed glasses — who introduced herself warning that dads watching at home “better hide their older, bookish-looking lesbian daughters.”
Sherman then introduced the panel, who she described as “basically like ‘The Avengers’ for your aunt” and which included cast members mimicking network regulars including Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Stephanie Ruhle and Chris Hayes.
The “SNL” skit parodying MSNBC featured imitations of Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow and Stephanie Ruhle. NBC / SNL
The skit’s Joy Reid — portrayed by Ego Nwodim — said the network was turning over a new leaf when it comes to covering Trump.
“This time around, we’re not gonna get sucked in by every new shiny, crazy statement from Trump. We need to focus on what he does, not what he says.”
At that moment, Sherman’s Maddow cuts in to announce some breaking news that Trump wants to “trade Connecticut for Italy.”
The segment bounced between anchors — lampooning their peccadilloes, including Melber’s penchant for hip-hop and portraying Ruhle as flighty and flirtatious.
It interrupted the panelists with mock-breaking news a few more times throughout, including a made-up story that the incoming 47th president had told a group of LA wildfire victims that “Arnold Palmer had some of the longest balls in American history.”
The most stinging barb of the skit came at the expense of Hayes and Maddow.
The skit got its biggest reaction from a bit in which it implied that Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes looked so similar that the camera operator couldn’t tell them apart. NBC / SNL
Nwodim’s Reid at one point throws a question to Maddow, but the camera fixes on Hayes — who is being played by Andrew Dismukes.
The audience awkwardly guffaws in realization as Dismukes stammers, “oh, I’m not Rachel, I’m Chris Hayes,” a riff on a longstanding internet meme that the hosts share a resemblance.
Trump is a frequent source of material for the long-running NBC series, despite hosting the show twice, in 2004 and again in 2015.
Trump is a frequent source of material for the long-running NBC series, despite hosting the show twice, in 2004 and again in 2015. NBC / SNL
During the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the program, sparking backlash and prompting NBC to file an Equal Time notice with the Federal Communications Commission a day after the episode aired.
The network ran a Trump campaign ad during the broadcast of NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and the NFL’s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday night.
“SNL” Roasts MSNBC’s Trump Obsession in Scathing Takedown of Rachel Maddow
In a recent episode of “Saturday Night Live,” the sketch comedy show took aim at MSNBC and host Rachel Maddow for their relentless coverage of all things Trump. The segment, titled “MSNBC’s Trump Obsession,” featured Kate McKinnon as Maddow and showcased the host’s over-the-top reactions to every tweet, scandal, and controversy involving the former president.
From Maddow’s dramatic monologues to her frantic attempts to connect the dots between Trump and various conspiracy theories, the parody highlighted the absurdity of the network’s fixation on the ex-president. McKinnon’s portrayal of Maddow as a hyper-caffeinated, conspiracy-obsessed news anchor was spot-on and had audiences in stitches.
The sketch didn’t hold back in its criticism of MSNBC’s coverage, pointing out the network’s ratings-driven approach to journalism and its seeming inability to move on from the Trump era. It was a fiery takedown that didn’t pull any punches, and it left viewers wondering just how accurate the portrayal really was.
Overall, “SNL’s” skewering of MSNBC and Rachel Maddow was a hilarious and timely reminder of the dangers of media obsession and sensationalism. It was a reminder that sometimes, it’s important to take a step back and remember that there are other things happening in the world besides Donald Trump.
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SNL, Saturday Night Live, MSNBC, Trump obsession, Rachel Maddow, sketch, comedy, parody, political satire, takedown, sketch comedy, television, entertainment, social commentary, current events.
Sarah Sherman opened the first “Saturday Night Live” episode of 2025 by portraying political commentator Rachel Maddow. In the sketch, Maddow hosted an MSNBC panel, which included Marcello Hernandez as Ari Melber, Ego Nwodim as Joy Reed, Heidi Gardner as Stephanie Ruhle and Andrew Dismukes as Chris Hayes.
The panelist began discussing the forthcoming inauguration, the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and the TikTok ban.
“Hello, and welcome to MSNBC. I am Rachel Meadow and Dads, you better hide your older bookish lesbian daughters because yeah, I’m back on TV tonight for our special inauguration weekend coverage,” Sherman says.
Before the panelists could even get into the topics of the day. Sherman interrupts them saying, “We have some breaking news. Trump has apparently just told reporters that he would like to quote Trade Connecticut.”
She goes on to add, “Sorry, Ari, we’re getting breaking news that Trump just told a group of wildfire victims that quote, ‘Arnold Palmer had some of the longest balls in American history.’ You see, this is what he does to keep us from talking about disaster relief or the impacts of climate change.”
James Austin Johnson also appears during the sketch as President Donald Trump to chat about the TikTok ban.
“Yes, we love TikTok.,” Johnson says. “Don’t we love TikTok? We used to hate it, but then it quite frankly, in many ways got me elected. So now we love it. We also love the Riz word, don’t we folks? And they’re trying to take the Riz away from us. It’s so sad. They want ’em the hell out of you. We do a little Costco guys. Boom. And we’re doing Get Ready with me. That’s going to be fun. And we’re doing the challenges. Remember Ice bucket. We love ice bucket. Anyway, we may have to go over to reels with Marcus Zuckerberg. I like him now. Zuck, he looks better, much cooler in terms of perm and with regard to chain. And he will, of course be at my inauguration, which will be indoors too many people to fit outside. We’re very excited to be inaugurated on Martin Luther King Day. I like sharing the day, and we’re excited about my latest cabinet pick. It’s someone I know you’ll be very excited to see. George Santos.”
Bowen Yang joined the sketch as the disgraced former U.S. Representative. “I’m so honored to be joining Trump’s cabinet as Secretary of Fact-Checking and Ambassador to Sephora,” he says. “I’m part of the politician to cameo back to politician and eventually to jail pipeline. But while I’m excited for Monday, this has been a very hard month for me. I am so sad by the passing of Jimmy Carter. He had a great influence on me since he was my dad. Now, excuse me, I’m late for a date with my boyfriend, Luigi Mangione.”
Comedian Dave Chappelle is hosting the first episode of the new year. It is his fourth time hosting the beloved sketch comedy show. Grammy-award nominated rapper GloRilla is making her ‘SNL” debut as the musical guest.
Watch the sketch below:
In a recent SNL cold open, comedian Sarah Sherman took on the role of MSNBC host Rachel Maddow to discuss the latest controversy surrounding President Trump and the social media app TikTok.
Sherman’s portrayal of Maddow was spot-on, complete with the signature glasses and intense delivery. In the sketch, Maddow delved into the implications of Trump’s threats to ban TikTok, a popular platform for short videos that has come under scrutiny for its ties to China.
With her trademark mix of wit and sarcasm, Sherman as Maddow dissected Trump’s motivations for targeting TikTok, suggesting that the president may be jealous of the app’s younger, more vibrant user base. She also speculated on the potential repercussions of a TikTok ban, both for the app’s millions of users and for US-China relations.
As always, SNL managed to inject humor into a timely and contentious issue, thanks in large part to Sherman’s hilarious interpretation of Maddow. The sketch was a reminder of the show’s ability to satirize current events and political figures with wit and insight.
Rachel Maddow is returning to her nightly perch on MSNBC — at least for the first few months of the second Trump administration.
The network announced on Monday that Maddow will lead its coverage of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and, starting that night, begin airing her prime-time show five nights a week at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Maddow’s new schedule will last until April 30, at which time she’ll revert to her current Monday-only routine with Alex Wagner occupying the time slot on Tuesdays through Fridays. Wagner will go on the road for various reporting assignments during the first 100 days of the new administration.
Maddow stepped back from her five-night-a-week television schedule in 2022 under a new contract that has allowed her more flexibility to pursue other projects. She has launched a successful round of podcasts.
Yet even with her more limited television schedule, she remains MSNBC’s signature personality and most popular host. Last year Maddow’s show averaged 2.5 million viewers on Mondays, that audience swelling by 866,000 through the week when time-shifted viewers are figured in, the Nielsen company said.
Maddow will also be the lead anchor for the network’s coverage of Trump’s inauguration, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern next Monday.
The left-leaning network’s viewership sunk dramatically following Trump’s victory in November’s election, and MSNBC is waiting to see whether it will become a leading destination for the Trump opposition. MSNBC argues that a post-election slump is typical for a network with an audience dominated by supporters of the losing candidate, and that viewers are slowly starting to return.
Maddow’s audience last Monday was 1.6 million, up 20 percent compared its November and December average, the network said.
After taking a break from her nightly show on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow is returning to the network five nights a week just in time for the early days of the Trump administration. Known for her in-depth analysis and sharp commentary, Maddow is sure to provide viewers with the insight and information they need as the new administration takes shape.
Maddow’s return comes at a crucial time, as President Trump’s first 100 days in office are sure to be filled with controversy and important decisions. With her keen eye for detail and ability to cut through the noise, Maddow is poised to be a voice of reason in these tumultuous times.
Fans of Maddow can look forward to her signature blend of wit, intelligence, and passion as she tackles the issues that matter most to Americans. Whether it’s breaking news, policy analysis, or interviews with key players in Washington, Maddow will be there to guide viewers through the maze of politics and policy.
So mark your calendars and set your DVRs, because Rachel Maddow is back and ready to take on the challenges of the Trump era. With her at the helm, viewers can rest assured that they will be getting the most informed and insightful coverage of the news that matters.
Rachel Maddow pared back her on-air schedule during President Biden’s time in office, reducing her popular prime-time program on MSNBC to once a week.
With President-elect Donald J. Trump returning to power, she’s going back to full-time duty.
MSNBC said on Monday that Ms. Maddow would temporarily return to broadcasting her one-hour show every weeknight at 9 p.m. Eastern for Mr. Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Through April 30, Alex Wagner, the anchor who filled Ms. Maddow’s time slot from Tuesdays to Fridays, will instead file reports from around the country “on the impacts of Trump’s early policies and promises on the electorate,” the network said.
Ms. Maddow signed a lucrative contract in 2021 that significantly raised her compensation while lowering her on-air commitments. She has since pursued several podcasts and documentaries, although MSNBC viewers regularly saw her hosting coverage of major events like election nights and last summer’s political conventions.
After April 30, Ms. Maddow will return to hosting only on Mondays, with Ms. Wagner taking the time slot for the rest of the week.
MSNBC’s ratings plummeted in the wake of Mr. Trump’s re-election in November. Executives at the network are hopeful that audiences will return as Mr. Trump takes office and viewers seek to dissect his early policy moves. Among other changes is a new fact-checking segment to be hosted by Chris Hayes, “Here Is What Is True.”
Fox News also announced a programming change on Monday. Will Cain, a conservative pundit who is a weekend host of “Fox & Friends,” will depart his morning role and take over the 4 p.m. weekday hour on the network. That time slot had previously been occupied by a straightforward newscast hosted by Neil Cavuto, a veteran business journalist who signed off from his show in December.
Exciting news for political junkies and fans of Rachel Maddow! The beloved MSNBC host will be hosting nightly shows during President-elect Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Maddow, known for her in-depth analyses and sharp commentary, will provide viewers with a closer look at the new administration’s policies, decisions, and actions. With her trademark wit and intelligence, she is sure to offer valuable insights and perspectives on the evolving political landscape.
Whether you’re a die-hard Maddow fan or just looking for some informative and engaging political coverage, be sure to tune in to MSNBC for Rachel Maddow’s nightly shows during Trump’s first 100 days in office. It’s sure to be a must-watch event!
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Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, Trump, First 100 Days, Nightly Shows, Host, News, Politics, Television, Media, Current Events, Commentary, Analysis
MSNBC fans are about to get a bigger dose of its marquee host: For the first 100 days of Trump’s second presidency, “The Rachel Maddow Show,” will revert to its former five-night-a-week schedule.
In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Maddow discusses her expanded schedule and her plan to cover his second term: “We’re already seeing the freneticism of the Trump news cycle taking over, even during the transition,” she says. And she’s learned from the first term to be “ready to adapt” and focus not on his words but his actions, or what the “chaos is concealing.”
Maddow’s show has aired only on Mondays (9 EST/PST) since April 2022, and “Alex Wagner Tonight” has filled the time slot on other weeknights since August of that year. Wagner will now travel the country to report “Trumpland: The First 100 Days” segments, to air across the network’s schedule until May 1, when the current lineup is scheduled to resume.
The request came from MSNBC chief Rashida Jones, Maddow says, adding Wagner “has been itching to get out there in the country and to cover what’s coming and the impact of what Trump is going to do in the second term on the ground, from a front-line perspective.” But MSNBC’s prime-time ratings are also down 58% since the election, a sharper drop than typical post-election ratings dips, and Maddow’s Monday audience (2.3 million viewers in 2024) is significantly larger than Wagner’s (1.3 million). Jones announced plans to step down from her role on Jan. 14.
Maddow, who has launched four podcasts, released another book and a documentary since moving to a weekly schedule, also spoke about the “very intense news cycle” she’s expecting from the start of a second Trump presidency and how Trump’s “shambolic” transition back to power makes news avoidance unwise.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity).
Question: What’s it going to be like covering Trump in 2025 vs. 2017? Have you learned any lessons from his first administration?
Answer: In the first Trump term, one of the things that we learned was this idea of watching what they do, not what they say. Trump is a real master of shifting the news cycle toward himself and away from himself as best suits his purposes, simply by saying really transgressive and shocking things all the time. And that’s almost impossible not to cover.
And you do have to cover it to a certain extent, particularly when the person saying these things is the president of the United States. But you can’t ever lose sight of what that chaos is concealing, that the actions of the president, the actions of the administration are often much more consequential than whatever crazy thing he’s recently said that’s driven everybody in the news cycle to go write a million similar stories about it. So that watch what they do, not what they say, thing, I’m really trying to operationalize that. It’s one thing to threaten Canada at a news conference; it’s another thing to have millions of people in this country taking action to try to protect people in their mixed-status families from being rounded up and put in camps, which he is promising to do and to deport millions of people. So not all the news is going to happen at a podium.
The other thing that we’ve learned is to be ready to adapt. Things are going to change. We’re already seeing the freneticism of the Trump news cycle taking over, even during the transition. We’re seeing the unpredictable cadence of the way news breaks as opposed to a more competent rational administration. So we’ll see; we’re trying to be ready for anything, and that’s part of why we’re making this change for the first 100 days.
Post-election ratings always go down for cable news, but anecdotally there seems to be an exhaustion factor about Trump news. Do you agree, and if so, is it understandable, unhealthy, or both?
This is something, as you say, that we see after every election. Whichever side wins or loses, you see people just want to opt out and have other parts of their life take up the space that absorbing the news and politics was previously taking up. It’s definitely understandable. To the extent that it is not just about the normal cycles of exhaustion and renewal of attention, we are entering a time when a lot of people are going to reengage. Everybody sort of implicitly knows that pretending something isn’t happening does not ensure that the thing doesn’t actually happen; there’s a sort of head-in-the-sand wish casting that’s happening with a lot of people checking out of the news, thinking “If I don’t hear about it, if I don’t look at it, then maybe it’s not happening.” But people know that’s not actually the way to stop it from happening. If this shambolic transition is anything to go on, the second Trump term is going to affect a lot of Americans, and they’re going to want to pay attention.
How is the media’s role in fact-checking disinformation affected by recent decisions by Facebook and Instagram to remove those guardrails?
There are social media platforms that are now saying they’re no longer going to do any sort of moderation to try to prevent the deliberate dissemination of dangerous disinformation. At the journalistic level, you are seeing once again news organizations that are committed to the truth having to make really hard, really specific in-the-moment decisions about how much to correct and point out the falsity of statements by people who should be speaking from an authoritative position; people like the president, other elected officials and nominees. Our job is to do journalistically sound work that is based in the truth and to make that fact-based journalism and commentary true, to make it accountable, to correct mistakes when we make them and to be transparent about our sourcing so that you know why it is that you can trust us, and to make sure that people can find that information in as many places as possible.
Trump has long attacked the press as the enemy, and at the same time, the media has faced unprecedented business pressures from the decline of linear television. News anchors are being let go, and your own network is being spun off from NBC into a new company later this year. How do you deal with that?
I’m (more) concerned about the future of journalism, broadly. But as long as I have been in the cable news world, I’ve been told “this is the last year.” And eventually, I’m sure it will be over. But as long as we’re still here, our job is pretty clear: Follow the facts, don’t be intimidated, tell true stories, help people understand the world. And I’m going to keep doing that, and I know MSNBC is committed to that as a company, and none of that changes. The business pressures are certainly there, and the political pressures are there and are very threatening and very anti-democratic, in a small “d” kind of way. But Americans broadly know that we need a free press. We don’t need just state TV; we don’t need to have the government control the media, as happens in authoritarian countries. You want a free and independent and even oppositional press if you want a healthy country, and I think the country recognizes that. All of us in the business recognize that. And part of the way we’re going to fight for that is by trying to be as successful as we can and try to serve the needs of our audience as best as we can. That’s part of why this 100-days plan is smart. And I’m really energized and really excited about it.
Could your schedule switch be longer than 100 days, or is that just a hard stop?
That is a hard stop. When Rashida asked me to do this, that was the discussion. That’s what Alex wants, too. The thing about the 9 p.m. chair is that it’s really a full-time job and with what Alex is planning on doing ‒ field reporting across the country and I think potentially overseas ‒ and doing that while I’m holding the seat for her for 100 days, that’s a good horizon for us, but on April 30 we will go back to our existing schedule.
The Rachel Maddow Show is back daily and ready to cover all the action of Round 2. With her sharp wit and keen analysis, Rachel Maddow will break down the latest developments and provide you with all the information you need to stay informed. From the latest political news to in-depth interviews with key players, Rachel Maddow will keep you up to date on all the important stories of the day. Tune in to the Rachel Maddow Show and stay ahead of the curve.
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Rachel Maddow Show, Round 2, daily news, political commentary, current events, MSNBC host, analysis, top stories, breaking news, in-depth coverage, political news, Rachel Maddow updates, news show, political talk show, news analysis.
