MSNBC has reportedly canceled anchor Mehdi Hasan’s weekend prime-time talk show due to a steep drop in ratings after his expressing anti-Israel views.
A source confirmed to the New York Post that MSNBC has been “cutting costs like crazy” and that the network would be axing his show.
“I think they thought (Hasan’s) point of view was a little too out of the mainstream, if you know what I mean,” the source told the Post.
Hasan will still serve as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host.
MSNBC President Rashida Jones told staffers in a memo, however, that the shakeup was part of a plan to revamp the weekend lineup before the 2024 presidential election.
“As Decision 2024 ramps up, the show will provide thoughtful analysis and coverage on the state of our country from three trusted voices familiar to the MSNBC audience,” Jones said.
Just last month, Semafor reported that MSNBC had sidelined its Muslim hosts amid uproar over their anti-Israel views. The network denied it.
MSNBC has quietly taken three of its Muslim broadcasters out of the anchor’s chair since Hamas’s attack on Israel last Saturday amid America’s wave of sympathy for Israeli terror victims.
Some staff at MSNBC have been concerned by the moves, feeling all three hosts have some of the deepest knowledge of the conflict. NBC says the shifts are coincidental, and the three continue to appear on air to report and provide analysis.
A company official vehemently pushed back against any notion that either Hasan or Mohyeldin were being sidelined in any way. Over the past several days, Mohyeldin has appeared on several programs on MSNBC as a guest including shows hosted by Reid and Chris Hayes.
Hasan was hired on MSNBC in 2021 after a lengthy career at Al Jazeera English.
Following the horrific October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Hasan pushed several far-left narratives, including the false idea that “Israel was responsible for the deadly strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza and suggested that Israel’s incursion into Gaza should be compared to Russia invading Ukraine,” according to the New York Post.
“On Nov. 16, Hasan got into a tense on-air spat with Israeli government adviser Mark Regev, who pushed back on the MSNBC host after he argued that Israel rejected a deal that would have seen hostages released before its retaliatory military strikes in Gaza,” it added.
The anchor’s ratings for his Sunday prime-time show have been steadily declining over the past two months.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.