MSNBC cancels far-left host Mehdi Hasan’s program
Hasan will remain at network as analyst and fill-in host
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC has canceled far-left host Mehdi Hasan’s Sunday night program as part of a major weekend programming shift.
Hasan will lose his weekend show as well as his show on the Peacock streaming service, but will stay at the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host.
Ayman Mohyeldin will take over Hasan’s one-hour Sunday program as he expands his weekend footprint.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MSNBC has canceled far-left host Mehdi Hasan’s Sunday night program. (MSNBC)
Known as one of the more pugnacious liberal media figures in cable news, Hasan joined MSNBC in 2020 after stints at Al Jazeera and the hard-left site The Intercept.
Hasan's cancelation comes on the heels of inflammatory remarks he made in 2009, long before becoming an MSNBC personality, circulating online last weekend when they were unearthed by New York Post reporter Jon Levine, although it doesn't appear the two are related.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.
Hasan has been one of the strongest critics of Israel in the mainstream media during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and he is known for his strident social media commentary and clashes with conservatives and other political foes. 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.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Israeli senior adviser Mark Regev recently scolded Mehdi Hasan for not informing views that Hamas controls the Gaza Health Ministry, which has been putting out statistics related to how many people have been killed during the war. (MSNBC screenshot)
When Levine resurfaced the comments, he added that it's "hard to imagine MSNBC allowing someone on television who said similar things about a different religion."
MSNBC declined comment when specifically asked if the resurfaced comments contributed to this decision.
In an internal memo, MSNBC president Rashida Jones focused on the positive aspects of the shakeup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As we emerge from a multitude of historic events these past months, we have an opportunity to build on our accomplishments and keep the momentum going into 2024 and beyond," Jones wrote in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
"Hasan will remain at the network, bringing his much-needed insight and expertise to MSNBC viewers as a Political Analyst and fill-in host," Jones added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mehdi Hasan will remain at MSNBC. (FOX News Digital )
Hasan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MSNBC is hardly moving away from progressive commentary with the move. In another programming decision this week, it's launching a weekend morning ensemble show "The Weekend," which will be hosted by former Biden aide Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez, the daughter of embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, and Michael Steele, the former Republican chairman who now openly detests the party.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.