symone sanders

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Source: Taylor Hill / Getty
MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend blasted a Republican politician on-air for false claims about her and President Joe Biden.
In another example of what not to do with Black women on top of their game, MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend embarrassed a Republican member of the House of Representatives who appeared on her show over the weekend. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee found himself in a corner unable to answer the host’s questions on why he supported the House’s inquiry to impeach President Joe Biden.

“You all are saying that you’re going to follow the facts in the inquiry, but there has been no evidence that has been produced that the president committed a high crime or misdemeanor while he was president. And so if you don’t find any evidence, at what point will the inquiry be considered concluded?” Sanders-Townsend asked.

Burchett then rattled off false claims about payments linked to the president’s son, Hunter Biden, which Republicans claim is proof that the president took advantage of his office. “I haven’t heard a high crime or misdemeanor yet,” the host replied. “Are you gonna let me answer the question, ma’am? I know you’re a Democrat operative and work for a Democrat consulting firm, but —” Burchett began.
“Alright, congressman, let’s do it then,” Symone cut in swiftly, adding that they are “out of time, but we’re gonna do it. I did use to advise a number of individuals, I’ve also advised some corporations and companies, but here I’m just here to be an advocate for the viewer,” she said. “And I will ask you one last time. What is the evidence that the committee has that Joe Biden, while he was president, committed a high crime, misdemeanor, or treason? Because that is the bar for an impeachment inquiry.”
Burchett responded, “You have to ask yourself, ma’am, why a vice president or a president would get $40,000 through a Chinese communist corporation…” It was at that point that Sanders-Townsend cut him off. “With that thank you very much, congressman it’s always a pleasure, you just can’t come on here and lie,” she said. The impeachment inquiry by the House Republicans has drawn many critics who feel its nothing but a distraction – Burchett is an avid supporter of former President Donald Trump and voted to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position earlier this year.

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Source: Patrick Randak / MSNBC
In a surprising announcement, MSNBC has canceled journalist Mehdi Hasan’s show as part of a new weekend lineup change.
Fans of veteran journalist Mehdi Hasan got some bad news as it was reported that MSNBC has ended his show as part of a broader lineup change for its weekend programming. His one-hour show which aired on Sundays will be taken over by fellow journalist Ayman Mohyeldin, whose own show will extend from one hour to two. Hasan will stay on with MSNBC as an analyst and a fill-in host when the occasion arises. Other changes include Jonathan Capehart’s time slot on the weekends being moved to 6 P.M., and analyst and lawyer Katie Phang’s show being moved to noon on Saturdays.

MSNBC President Rashida Jones announced the changes in an internal memo sent out on Thursday (November 30), saying the moves “will evolve our weekend programming to better position ourselves as we head into the presidential election.” The news of Hasan’s show ending was met with dismay, considering that he was one of the journalists who had been asking hard questions of the Israeli government as their war against Hamas began on October 7, with an interview with senior adviser Mark Regev.

One prominent figure voicing their dismay is Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California, who called the decision “bad optics” for MSNBC. “As a strong supporter of free speech, MSNBC owes the public an explanation for this decision. Why would they choose to do this now?”, he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The major component of the shakeup is the debut of The Weekend, a new show that will be hosted by MSNBC anchors Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Michael Steele. The Weekend will air from Washington D.C. from 8 to 10 AM on Saturdays and Sundays beginning January 13. Menendez joined MSNBC in 2019 and had her program on Saturdays and Sundays before the move. Sanders-Townsend also had her own MSNBC show, SYMONE which aired on Peacock as well after joining the network in 2022 after serving as Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris. A former lieutenant governor of Maryland and RNC Chairman, Steele has been a frequent guest and fill-in host on MSNBC.