MSNBC staff feel 'deep disappointment' over Mehdi Hasan's cancellation, are worried why it happened: Insider
There is concern inside MSNBC about why ‘The Mehdi Hasan Show" was canceled only days after years-old problematic rhetoric was unearthed, according to a network insider.
MSNBC staffers are deeply disappointed and "worried about why" the network canceled far-left host Mehdi Hasan’s program last week, an insider says.
"Across the board [at the network], there's deep disappointment at this. People there do operate in some awe of him, whether you agree with him or not. The guy’s brave, the guy says what is on his mind," an MSNBC insider told Fox News Digital.
Hasan, who saw the plug pulled on his show on the Peacock streaming service in addition to his Sunday night MSNBC program, will stay at the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host. It's part of sweeping changes MSNBC's making to weekend programming in January.
MSNBC CANCELS FAR-LEFT HOST MEHDI HASAN’S PROGRAM
While MSNBC painted the decision to move Hasan from "host" to "analyst" as a programming decision, the MSNBC insider said people are skeptical inside the Rockefeller Plaza headquarters.
"I think people are worried about why Medhi got benched, but they also think we need more Mehdi, not less," the insider said.
MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin, who like Hasan is sharply critical of Israel in his coverage of the conflict but takes a more measured tone, will have his weekend hours extended to cover Hasan's time when the changes go into effect. Another MSNBC insider noted that Mohyeldin and Hasan are "aligned on many issues."
Hasan, who came to MSNBC after stints at Al Jazeera and the hard-left site The Intercept, has been one of the strongest critics of Israel in the mainstream media during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, MSNBC was forced to deny a report that Hasan was "quietly" removed from the anchor chair, insisting it was a coincidental move to focus on breaking coverage.
Upon returning, Hasan made news by conducting a combative interview with Israeli advisor Mark Regev when he was accused of pushing "disinformation" to MSNBC viewers regarding Hamas’ willingness to release hostages. Regev also criticized Hasan for not informing viewers that Hamas controls the Gaza Health Ministry, which has been putting out statistics related to how many people have been killed during the war.
His programs were canceled only days after inflammatory remarks he made in 2009, long before becoming an MSNBC personality, were resurfaced online.
Hasan compared non-Muslims to "animals" and linked homosexuals to "pedophiles" and "sexual deviants." In 2019, Hasan apologized for those comments, calling them "dumb offensive ranty stuff" and admitted that he said "extreme-sounding things" as a young man.
MSNBC declined comment when specifically asked if the resurfaced comments contributed to this decision.
Others have suggested it was a programming decision, citing MSNBC’s viewership struggles as a possible explanation. In 2023, "The Mehdi Hasan Show" averaged only 483,000 viewers during the Sunday 8 p.m. ET time slot while Fox News’ "Life, Liberty and Levin" managed 1.4 million at the same time.
Among viewers between ages 25-54 who are coveted by advertisers, "The Mehdi Hasan Show" averaged a dismal 44,000 viewers in 2023, which is significantly less than even struggling CNN attracted during the Sunday night timeslot.
Some of Hasan’s colleagues have defended him publicly, while Democratic lawmakers have also scolded MSNBC for the decision.
"Mehdi's the greatest, btw. Just a good dude who is the best at what he does," NBC News reporter Ben Collins posted on X.
"Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., heralded Hasan as "one of the most brilliant and most prominent Muslim journalists in the U.S." but expressed her concerns about his demotion.
"It is deeply troubling that MSNBC is canceling his show amid a rampant rise of anti-Muslim bigotry and suppression of Muslim voices. Anyone who cares about free expression should be concerned," Omar posted on social media.
Hasan himself addressed the move on X, confirming he would continue to appear on MSNBC and "you'll hear from me lots in 2024."
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.