Joy Reid and Piers Morgan Clash Over MSNBC Cancellation

Joy Reid joined Piers Morgan on his show “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” where the discussion took a heated turn regarding her assertion that her dismissal from MSNBC was due to her being a black woman.

“Joy, let’s be real here. I don’t think it was about her race or being a black woman. It was about declining popularity,” Morgan argued.

Reid’s program, “The Reidout,” was canceled in February during a significant restructuring at MSNBC. Ratings for her show had dropped noticeably, averaging 973,000 viewers in February 2025, which was a 28% decline from 1.3 million viewers in February 2024.

She expressed confusion over the cancellation, stating her show had faced more drastic cuts compared to others on the network.

When Morgan questioned why she was playing the “race card” instead of acknowledging her show’s ratings issues, Reid, visibly frustrated, accused him of trying to racialize the discussion. “It’s interesting that your idea of ‘playing the race card’ seems to come from an obsession with racializing our conversations,” she retorted.

As Morgan interrupted her, he argued that Reid’s own style often centered on race. Reid’s commentary has indeed sparked controversy in the past, such as when she referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as “Uncle Clarence” due to his conservative stances.

Furthermore, Reid had previously accused Senator Tim Scott of attending a GOP event merely to offer a “diversity patina.” She also commented on Rep. Byron Donald, describing him as “a black guy that Republicans love to showcase.”

In another conversation, Reid claimed her status as a “black woman” often frustrated white viewers when she expressed disagreement with certain viewpoints. “You cherry-pick elements from my talk with Mark Lamont Hill to racialize them because of your own patterns,” she expressed to Morgan.

Morgan countered, stating, “You racialized every joyous moment; it wasn’t about me, it was actually your approach that people grew tired of.”

In the midst of their exchange, Reid pointed out what she saw as a double standard from Morgan, a “white European,” regarding discussions on race by “people of color.” This interview has certainly stirred controversy, especially since Morgan previously brought up Reid’s problematic blog posts from a Florida blog that resurfaced in 2018.