Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that she will be joining MSNBC, and the network revealed details about her new role.
SO WHAT
It shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for the ex-Biden flak.
WHAT HAPPENED
Psaki, who was rumored to be heading to MSNBC, made the move official in a tweet, saying: “Breaking down the facts and getting to the bottom of what’s driving the issues that matter most to people in this country has never been more important.”
Psaki will host her own show starting in 2023, MSNBC said in a near-simultaneous statement.
- The program will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics,” per MSNBC.
- Psaki will also appear across MSNBC and NBC programs, including on prime-time coverage of this year’s midterms and the 2024 presidential election.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Various news outlets reported in April that MSNBC had won a “bidding war” for Psaki’s post-White House services, and she would be hosting a show for the network on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.
- Psaki refused to comment on the reports, and brushed off questions about conflict of interest.
- But anonymous sources said she would stop appearing on MSNBC and NBC as press secretary.
Defenders of Psaki, who was once a CNN contributor, have pointed out that former press secretaries and other officials from the Trump White House transitioned to conservative cable news gigs.
- But the revolving door has seemed to spin faster and faster: Psaki was reportedly the first White House press secretary to negotiate a media job before leaving public service.
- Meanwhile, Symone Sanders, a former adviser and senior spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, has been hosting a show on Peacock since May 7.
Karine Jean-Pierre, Psaki’s replacement as White House press secretary, is a former MSNBC contributor and the live-in partner of Suzanne Malveaux, CNN’s former White House correspondent turned national correspondent.
