In winter 2022, Rachel Maddow announced a break from her nightly MSNBC show, causing speculation about the network's future without her. Insiders discussed potential successors, with Jen Psaki, then President Biden's press secretary, viewed as a candidate due to her political communication skills. Though Psaki joined MSNBC, she did not immediately take over Maddow's 9 P.M. slot, which went to Alex Wagner. Maddow returned full-time during the initial months of the Trump Administration and, following some shifts in personnel, Psaki eventually moved into the coveted time slot, establishing her alongside Maddow as a key figure in MSNBC's lineup.
Byers noted, her role under Biden required her to explain complicated matters of politics and policy and debunk falsehoods-which is not dissimilar from the job Maddow has created for herself at 9 P.M.
Psaki's time in the White House briefing room had also made her a darling of a certain type of #Resistance liberal-for restoring a "West Wing"-ish sense of civility after the caustic Trump years.
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