Alert – Joy Reid’s most unhinged racist and homophobic rants as her MSNBC show is finally axed

Joy Reid’s The ReidOut has been canceled by MSNBC amid the network’s plummeting ratings – and seven years after the star’s racist and homophobic rants were unearthed. 

Reid’s final episode is set for Monday evening- with the 7 p.m. ET time slot to be replaced by a panel show co-hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele, sources told The New York Times.

The political commentator’s three decade broadcasting career  has been marred by multiple controversies – with her downfall sparked in 2017 when homophobic posts she had penned about ex Florida governor Charlie Crist from 2007 to 2009, emerged.

In 2018, anti-gay remarks were found on her old blog from posts in 2006, which she blamed on hackers at the time.

Other 2006 blog posts then came to light, including one that stated ‘current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression, and thus, I’d say, with the Bushian dream of Western style democracy for all.’ 

In 2020 she angered many by comparing radicalized supporters of President Trump to ‘the way Muslims act’ – causing Trump to call for her firing.

Following Donald Trump’s assassination attempt last summer, Reid was slammed for taking to X and sharing conspiracies, including that he may not have even been shot at all.

As Reid faces career downfall, DailyMail.com looks back at her most unhinged and controversial moments…

Joy Reid’s The ReidOut has been canceled by MSNBC amid the network’s plummeting ratings – and seven years after the star’s racist and homophobic rants were unearthed 

2017 – HOMOPHOBIC POSTS EMERGE

The scandal unfolded when a Twitter user shared a series of posts citing ‘homophobic’ work authored by the MSNBC host about former Florida governor Charlie Crist from 2007 to 2009.

The posts were captioned: ‘From 2007 to 2009 @joyannreid authored a dozen homophobic posts not only attempting to out Charlie Crist as gay, she attacked & mocked him for being so,’ @Jamie_Maz said in the first of nine post. 

‘She repeatedly referred to him as ‘Miss Charlie’ and tagged posts about him under ‘gay politicians.”

The user underlined portions they believed to be problematic, citing  a joke regarding John McCain and claims about male waiters on Crist’s honeymoon.

During the time she wrote those blog posts, Reid was a morning talk radio host and blogger covering Florida politics. 

Crist was Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011. He was known for having supported a state constitutional amendment ban on same-sex marriage in 2008. 

The scandal unfolded when a Twitter user shared a series of posts citing ‘homophobic’ work authored by the MSNBC host about former Florida governor Charlie Crist from 2007 to 2009

But in a 2013 interview with Watermark Online, an online LGBT publication in Orlando, he said: “I’m sorry I did that. It was a mistake. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” 

When asked why he did it, the former governor claimed that he was trying to be a ‘good Republican’ until it became harder for him to ‘toe the Republican party line’ since his views on social issues differed from the norm.

‘This note is my apology to all who are disappointed by the content of blogs I wrote a decade ago, for which my choice of words and tone have legitimately been criticized,’ Reid said in a Facebook statement shared with NBC News.  

Reid would continue her apology by mentioning that she prided herself on the ‘facility with language’ and admitting that was not always the case, especially highlighting the time she worked in Florida covering politics up until 2011.

She added: ‘Among the frequent subjects of my posts was then-governor Charlie Crist, at the time a conservative Republican, whose positions on issues like gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in Florida shared headlines with widely rumored reports that he was hiding his sexual orientation.’ 

And the host pointed out that while folks within the LGBTQ community, conservative blogs and even South Park made reference to Crist, it was now her words that were being observed and gave her new light to reflect on. 

Crist (pictured 2021) was Florida’s governor from 2007- 2011. He was known for having supported a state constitutional amendment ban on same-sex marriage in 2008 which he later regretted

After Reid issued a groveling apology, Crist responded with his forgiveness

‘Let me be clear: at no time have I intentionally sought to demean or harm the LGBT community, which includes people whom I deeply love,’ she said. 

‘My goal, in my ham-handed way, was to call out potential hypocrisy.’

Reid continued by saying that she regretted the way she addressed the issue and felt the ‘mocking tone and sarcasm’ used were ‘insensitive, tone deaf and dumb.’

She added: ‘There is no excusing it – not based on the taste-skewing mores of talk radio or the then-blogosphere, and not based on my intentions.’ 

The mother-of-three apologized to coworkers, viewers and Congressman Crist ‘who was the target of my thoughtfulness.’

‘In the years since I went from blogger to opinion journalist, I have also learned, through brilliant friends and allies in the LGBT activist community, how to better frame my critiques of those who challenge people’s right to love who they want, marry them, and walk in the world as fully free people,’ Reid said.

‘Re-reading those old blog posts, I am disappointed in myself. I apologize to those who also are disappointed in me. Life can be humbling. It often is. But I hope that you know where my heart is, and that I will always strive to use my words for good. I know better and I will do better.’ 

And when Reid shared the tweet of her apology, Crist responded and accepted her apology.

‘Long forgotten, but thank you, Joy. I appreciate you,’ he said on Sunday night.

Reid added: ‘Thank you congressman. Truly. And here’s wishing you a wonderful holiday season.’

APRIL 2018 – MORE HOMOPHOBIC POSTS EMERGE AND REID CLAIMS HACKING 

Months later, the same Twitter user @Jamie_Maz published more screenshots purported to have been acquired through the Internet Archive of Reid’s blog

In the posts, Reid appeared to defend homophobic comments made by former NBA player Tim Hardaway and a U.S. Marine general and said she was repulsed by Brokeback Mountain

Months later, the same Twitter user @Jamie_Maz published a new crop of screenshots purported to have been acquired through the Internet Archive of Reid’s blog, kicking off a fresh round of controversy around the liberal host.

In the posts, Reid appeared to defend homophobic comments made by former NBA player Tim Hardaway and a U.S. Marine general and said she was repulsed by LGBTQ film Brokeback Mountain.

The Twitter user who posted the images claimed to be from Reid’s blog said the new articles ‘had nothing to do with Republican hypocrisy on gay marriage. Joy also opposed gay marriage at the time. She gleefully accused people of being gay and posted a number of questionable things.’    

One example allegedly posted in defense of Tim Hardaway’s accused homophobia reads: ‘Keeping it real … most straight men feel exactly the same way, and would have the exact same reaction to the idea of stripping naked in a sweaty locker room in close quarters with a gay teammate. Most straight people cringe at the sight of two men kissing.’

The post continued: ‘Most straight people had a hard time being convinced to watch ‘Broke Back Mountain.’ (I admit that I couldn’t go see the movie either, despite my sister’s ringing endorsement, because I didn’t want to watch the two male characters having sex.) Does that make me homophobic? Probably.’ 

The tweet immediately following that post includes the following language, attributed to Reid:

‘Part of the intrinsic nature of straightness is that homosexual sex is… well… gross,’ adding that the author was sure gay people thought straight sex was gross, too. 

The Twitter user acknowledged in one tweet that over ‘the last few months the site was removed from the Wayback Machine Internet Archive,’ speculating the removal was done ‘at the request of whoever controls the blog.’ 

Reid did not say the images included with the tweets were photo-shopped, but instead claimed that a hacker gained access to her former blog at some point, posting material that she did not create to the site 

‘These screenshots were taken before it came down,’ the user added, without explaining the delay in posting the images.

Reid did not say the images included with the tweets were photo-shopped, but instead claimed that a hacker gained access to her former blog at some point, posting material that she did not create to the site. 

‘In December I learned that an unknown, external party accessed and manipulated material from my now-defunct blog, The Reid Report, to include offensive and hateful references that are fabricated and run counter to my personal beliefs and ideology,’ Reid told Mediate.

‘I began working with a cyber-security expert who first identified the unauthorized activity, and we notified federal law enforcement officials of the breach. The manipulated material seems to be part of an effort to taint my character with false information by distorting a blog that ended a decade ago.

‘Now that the site has been compromised I can state unequivocally that it does not represent the original entries. I hope that whoever corrupted the site recognizes the pain they have caused, not just to me, but to my family and communities that I care deeply about: LGBTQ, immigrants, people of color and other marginalized groups.

In a further 2018 statement she said: ‘An unknown, external party accessed and manipulated material from my now-defunct blog, the Reid Report, to include offensive and hateful references that are fabricated and run counter to my personal beliefs and ideology.

‘I genuinely do not believe I wrote those hateful things, because they are completely alien to me. But I can definitely understand, based on things I have tweeted and have written in the past, why some people don’t believe me.’

Her attorney said that the time the FBI had opened an investigation into the posts – written before she joined NBC News in 2011.

2020 – REID ACCUSED OF ‘XENOPHOBIA AND RACISM’ BY TRUMP

In September 2020 President Donald Trump called for the firing of Reid for her ‘xenophobia and racism’ after she angered many by comparing radicalized supporters of the president to ‘the way Muslims act’ 

‘The very untalented Joy Reid should be fired for this horrible use of the words “Muslim Terrorists”.’ The president continued: ‘Such xenophobia and racism on MSDNC’

In September 2020 President Donald Trump called for the firing of Reid for her ‘xenophobia and racism’ after she angered many by comparing radicalized supporters of the president to ‘the way Muslims act.’

‘The very untalented Joy Reid should be fired for this horrible use of the words “Muslim Terrorists”.’

The president continued: ‘Such xenophobia and racism on MSDNC. Anyone else would be gone, and fast!!!’

‘MSDNC’ is commonly used to denigrate the left-leaning cable network MSNBC as a propaganda tool of the Democratic Party.

The acronym DNC stands for Democratic National Committee.

Reid was accused of Islamophobia after her comments, which were made during her new 7pm show, ReidOut, as she discussed the murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse and political violence in Portland.

‘When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are ‘radicalizing’ these people, particularly when they’re radicalizing young people,’ Reid said.

‘That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act,’ she added. ‘When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?’

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, led the criticism against Reid, saying in a tweet: ‘Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.’ 

‘We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,’ Omar added.

Omar also did not take too kindly to Trump’s calls for Reid’s dismissal.

In a direct response to Trump’s tweet about firing Reid, the Minnesota congresswoman tweeted: ‘Joy was right about one thing- you are radicalizing and inciting violence and must be condemned for it. 

‘Don’t use Muslim pain to attack the talent of a strong Black woman, who has vigorously held you and your administration accountable. 

‘We reject your fascist solidarity.’ 

Reid did not address the controversy on her show, but wrote in a tweet on Tuesday night: ‘There’s been some thoughtful commentary but also some willful distortion of the points I tried to make yesterday. We’ll discuss in more depth tomorrow on the show!’ 

Reid’s remarks drew swift backlash. Zakir Khan, board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oregon, said in a tweet that the comments were ‘so unbelievably Islamophobic it’s ridiculous.’

Khan asked whether Reid planned to apologize for the way she ‘stereotype[d] an entire group of Muslims.’

In her remarks, Reid referred to Trump liking a tweet praising Rittenhouse, who is charged with murder after fatally shooting two people during a violent confrontation in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump went further at a press conference on Monday, telling DailyMail.com that the then 17-year-old Rittenhouse ‘probably would have been killed’ if he had not opened fire.

Rittenhouse’s attorney has said that the teen clearly acted in self-defense while he was being attacked by a violent mob.

Other 2006 blog posts then came to light, including one that stated ‘current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression, and thus, I’d say, with the Bushian dream of Western style democracy for all.’ 

2021 – REID BLASTS KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR HIS ‘WHITE TEARS’ 

In 2021 Reid sparked fury by twisting the case of Kyle Rittenhouse and bringing his race into the debate – mocking him for his ‘white tears’ on the stand in his 2021 trial

In 2021 Reid sparked fury by twisting the case of Rittenhouse and bringing his race into the debate – mocking him for his ‘white tears’ and likening him to Brett Kavanaugh for crying when faced with devastating accusations.

The MSNBC host was commenting on the Rittenhouse trial as the jury were sent home again t after failing to reach a verdict for a second day in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse shot dead two men and wounded a third when he was attacked during BLM riots in Kenosha in August, 2020. The teenager says he was ‘protecting property’ after unrest was sparked by a white police officer shooting black motorist Jacob Blake and leaving him paralyzed. ​He was later acquitted after claiming he acted in self defense.

Rittenhouse, broke down in tears when he took the stand to recount the killings, and he was so overwhelmed the judge had to call a recess so he could compose himself.

But Reid suggested that Rittenhouse was using his tears in the same way that Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault, ‘cried his way through the hearings [before Congress in 2018] to make him a permanent member’ of the Supreme Court.

‘So, it’s the Kyle Rittenhouse trial,’ said Reid in a TikTok, accompanied by a soundtrack.

‘It reminded a lot of people of something… something – I can’t remember what it was. Oh, the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.

Reid claimed Rittenhouse was using his tears in the same way that associate justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh (R), who was accused of sexual assault, ‘cried his way through the hearings’

‘In which Brett Kavanaugh, who had been accused by a high school friend of committing sexual abuse of her, cried his way through the hearings to make him a permanent member – an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.’

Reid said that Kavanaugh’s tears of fury when he was accused of sexual assault were ‘powerful’, and propelled him to a seat on the Supreme Court.

‘And his tears turned out to be more powerful than the tears of Christine Blasey Ford. Which were the tears of an alleged victim,’ she said.

‘But in America, there’s a thing about both white vigilantism and white tears – particularly male white tears.

‘Really, white tears in general – because that’s what Karens are, right?

‘They Karen out, and then as soon as they get caught it’s – bring the waterworks. White men can get away with that too.

‘And it has the same effect – even as the right tries to politicize the idea that masculinity is being robbed from American men by multiculturalism and wokeism.

‘They still want to be able to have their tears.’ 

JULY 2024 – REID PLUGS CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

In July 2024 Reid took to X to share another round of conspiracies about the attempted assassination of Trump – including that he may not have even been shot at all. 

‘We still don’t know for sure whether Donald Trump was hit by a bullet,’ she began. ‘We know almost nothing’ 

Reid took to X to share another round of conspiracies about the attempted assassination of Trump – including that he may not have even been shot at all. 

The liberal anchor listed a number of things she finds ‘weird’ about the shocking episode in Butler, Pennsylvania, and appeared to imply that it was a staged event. 

‘We still don’t know for sure whether Donald Trump was hit by a bullet,’ she began. ‘We know almost nothing.’ 

Although Reid appeared to float some questions that officials have already answered, her remarks come amid mounting pressure on the Secret Service to explain the disastrous security slip that allowed the shooting to occur. 

Reid shared her speculation to social media shortly after she raised eyebrows in a broadcast from the Republican National Convention, as news broke that President Biden tested positive for Covid. 

She compared Biden recovering from the virus in ‘a couple of days’ to Trump standing up and pumping his fist seconds after being shot, feeling they ‘convey the exactly the same thing.’ 

After also branding the assassination attempt a ‘photo op’ in the broadcast, Reid took a similar tune in her X clip as she appeared to speculate that Trump’s Secret Service agents paused to allow Trump to ‘pose’ for an iconic picture. 

‘We don’t know why, for nine full seconds, Donald Trump was allowed to stand back up during an active shooting,’ Reid said.   

‘Even though they at that point had said the shooter was down, how would they have known if there were more shooters or not? There could have been five shooters for all they knew. 

‘Yet, they allowed him to stand up in the middle of that crisis, and pose for a photo, and fist pump the air, so he could get the iconic photo.’ 

Conservative commentator Kenny Webster slammed Reid’s insinuation that the shooting may have been staged, drawing comparison’s with Alex Jones’ legal battle over his outrageous Sandy Hook remarks. 

‘Alex Jones was fined $1.5 billion for his comments on Sandy Hook. How is this any different? Fine Joy Reid and seize MSNBC’s studio equipment,’ he said on X. 

Although Trump only raised his fist for another moment as he was bundled into an SUV, Reid added that to her, it looked like the Secret Service ‘allowed him to stand up again… instead of shoving him into the SUV.’ 

‘That seems really unusual,’ she said.  

Trump said a bullet ripped through the top part of his right ear, and he appeared at the RNC with a small bandage over the wound – but Reid said she is still unsure ‘what is the actual injury to Donald Trump’s ear that’s under that bandage?’ 

‘Shouldn’t we know that by now?’ she continued. ‘It’s weird and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of curiosity about it.

‘Why isn’t the New York Times like aggressively pursuing his medical records? It’s just weird, just a strange thing that I’ve noticed.’ 

Days earlier she had implied that Trump was partly to blame for the assassination attempt against him.

Reid was on air with fellow MSNBC star Rachel Maddow covering the Republican National Convention when she suggested the former president was suffering the ‘consequences’ of ‘promoting’ violence.

‘The idea of political violence that we’ve been nursing really… is so dangerous,’ Reid said. ‘It’s so dangerous that you cannot avoid the consequences of it, even if you’re one of the people promoting it.’

Reid stressed that she did not want to see Trump ‘rewrite himself as a victim’ – and used reports of voter intimidation in Arizona as an example of the political violence she says Republicans have been nurturing.

‘I think about the people who tried to vote in Arizona when men with long guns were standing outside of the polling places to send them a message,’ she explained.

“If you don’t vote the right way, I’m here with this gun.”‘

Reid also claimed it was akin to when ‘menacing’ armed men at the 2016 RNC were ‘pacing’ near her booth to ‘send a message.’

Many have taken issue with Reid’s comment and expressed their outrage on social media, with one X user calling her ‘the most vile woman in America.’

X user Brandon Tatum said: ‘Gaslighting at its finest. This is how insane these people are.

‘Joy Reid says Trump shouldn’t be allowed to play the victim after GETTING SHOT.’

JANUARY 2025 – REID SLAMS TRUMP OVER CAPITOL ATTACK

In January 2025, Reid branded Trump an ‘insurrectionist’ on the fourth anniversary of the January 6 2021 Capitol attack – pictured 

In the wake of Reid’s show cancelation, President Trump gleefully took to TruthSocial to brand her a ‘mentally obnoxious racist’ who should have been ‘canned long ago’

In January 2025, Reid branded Trump an ‘insurrectionist’ on the fourth anniversary of the January 6 2021 Capitol attack – days before he returned to the White House for his second term as President.

Speaking on The ReidOut, she said: ’14 days from today, you will hear many soberly and reverently laud the peaceful transfer of power.

‘Well, I hate to be the fly at the picnic table, but you can’t peacefully transfer power to an insurrectionist simply because it took them an extra four years to finish the job.

‘This was a violent transfer of power. The most violent in U.S. history if we’re being honest.’

In the wake of Reid’s show cancelation, President Trump gleefully took to TruthSocial to brand her a ‘mentally obnoxious racist’ who should have been ‘canned long ago.’

He wrote: ‘Lowlife Chairman of ‘Concast,’ Brian Roberts, the owner of Ratings Challenged NBC and MSDNC, has finally gotten the nerve up to fire one of the least talented people in television, the mentally obnoxious racist, Joy Reid. 

‘Based on her ratings, which were virtually non-existent, she should have been ‘canned’ long ago, along with everyone else who works there.’

Right wing commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote on X: ‘Joy Reid, aka the race lady at MSNBC, just had her show canceled because it was unwatchable. Good riddance to the most vitriolic, lowbrow, and unhinged race hustler ever allowed on national television.’

The shakeup comes from newly tapped MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler, who is looking to save the network from dismal ratings, according to Variety.

Other programming changes are expected as the network looks to revitalize its primetime roster.

Amid a looming landscape of languishing cable and legacy news stations, MSNBC had their lowest-rated Januarys in history in the highly sought 25-54 demographic.

The statistic holds importance to advertisers due to the group’s spending power and the fact that it pertains to both daytime and primetime.

During the hours of 8-11 p.m. ET, MSNBC barely managed an audience of 734,000, with CNN securing just 522,000.

This all occurred during a hectic news cycle that featured coverage of Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Trump’s inauguration and the controversy surrounding the president’s parade of appointments and pardons.

Reid’s final The ReidOut will air Monday evening 

Reid, posting on Bluesky after the cancelation was revealed. wrote: ‘I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement’

Talking heads ranging from Jake Tapper to Joy Reid failed to stop the bleeding – as did a move from MSNBC that brought back Rachel Maddow to TV sets five times a week, at least for the first 100 days of the new administration.

MSNBC lagged to just 45,000 viewers during the day and just 63,000 during the peak hours of night – with the Maddow experiment seemingly failing.

In terms of percentages, though, the figures were even more alarming; MSNBC essentially lost nearly half of its 25-54 audience since this time last year, continuing a 65 percent slide seen since the election.

In primetime, the network’s numbers are down 41 percent from 2024. When it came to programming delivered during the day, the percentage dip was the same.

Given the timing and recent events surrounding, the new Nielsen numbers appear to show that relationship continuing in spades, with Fox seemingly set to widen that gap even more.

Such a fate appears to already be on the mind of MSNBC and CNN’s C-suite, with MSNBC President Rashida Jones abruptly leaving the company in January.

‘I shared this decision with Mark (Lazarus), who has been incredibly supportive and has asked me to stay on for the next few months to help guide the network during this transitional period,’ she said at the time. 

Reid has often come under fire for her bizarre takes and opinions, both on and off air.

She made headlines when she spoke out against presidential wannabe Kamala Harris’ VP pick. She admitted that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was ‘not the pick I expected’, and ‘thought (Harris) would go astronaut.’

The anchor said she thought Harris would pick someone white as ‘a mayonnaise sandwich on wonder bread’ kuje Senator Mark Kelly.  

Just last month, Reid went viral after a fit over Mark Zuckerberg’s U-turn on Meta’s fact-checking programs.

The ReidOut star took to TikTok to air her distaste after bizarrely claiming the Trump administration’s transition to power ‘was a violent [one]’.

The latter was delivered on the air, as the progressive continues to publicly pan the looming administration.

‘Why would conservatives think that fact-checking is biased against them?’ Reid began in the clip, posted hours after Zuckerberg, 40, admitted Meta censored conservative opinions on an industrial scale during the current administration.

‘I mean, what are you sharing?’ If you keep getting fact-checked for false information,’ the commentator asked aloud.

Smiling, she pointed to her head and told followers to ‘Think about it,’ before claiming most – if not all – censored opinions on platforms like Facebook were misinformation.

Reid, posting on Bluesky after the cancelation was revealed. wrote: ‘I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets. 

‘So very proud of The Reidout team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends. See you tomorrow night at 7, one more time.’