Piers Morgan and Joy Reid Clash Over MSNBC Exit in Fiery Debate on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’

Thursday night’s episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored turned into a heated confrontation when host Piers Morgan and former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid squared off over the reasons behind Reid’s February 2025 departure from the network. The interview was charged with tension as the two media personalities sparred over Reid’s firing, with race and declining viewership at the heart of the debate.

The Ratings Argument: Morgan’s Blunt Take

Morgan didn’t mince words when he opened the interview, bluntly suggesting that Reid’s primetime show, The ReidOut, was canceled not because of race, but because of its declining popularity. “Joy, I mean, let’s be honest,” Morgan began, “I don’t think you were fired after all those years because of your skin color or because you’re a Black woman. I think you were fired because your show just got increasingly unpopular.”

This comment was aimed at the noticeable drop in viewership that The ReidOut experienced in 2024, which saw a 28% decline in viewers—falling from 1.3 million in February 2024 to just 973,000 by February 2025. Morgan’s assessment seemed to strike a nerve with Reid, who argued that while her show had suffered from smaller viewership losses than other MSNBC programs, ratings were not the sole factor behind her dismissal.

Reid’s Race Card Defense

Reid pushed back against Morgan’s assertion, asserting that race played a significant role in her firing. Morgan was quick to challenge this, asking why Reid was “playing the race card” instead of acknowledging the impact of declining ratings. Reid, ever quick-witted, fired back: “I love the fact that your ‘play the race card’ is your version of the race card. You literally are so fixated on trying to racialize conversations with me, Piers, I actually find it quite charming.”

Morgan didn’t take kindly to Reid’s counter-argument and snapped, “You racialize more conversations in your tenure at MSNBC than any host in history.” The tension continued to build as Reid defended herself, asserting that Morgan’s criticisms were rooted in his own racial biases. “You’re a White European,” she said, pointing out what she perceived as a double standard in how discussions of race were handled by people like him versus those like her.

Race and Identity: A Divisive Focus

Throughout her tenure at MSNBC, Reid became known for addressing political issues through a lens of race and identity, often providing sharp critiques of Black conservatives. She has faced backlash for remarks such as referring to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as “Uncle Clarence” and calling Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) the GOP’s “patina of diversity.” Additionally, Reid’s labeling of Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) as “the Black guy the Republicans love to roll out” sparked controversy among conservative circles and some moderates, with critics accusing her of using race to further political agendas.

During the interview, Morgan seized on these instances, arguing that Reid’s tendency to “racialize everything” was a key reason for the decline in her show’s popularity. Reid, however, stood her ground, insisting that her focus on race was not a “schtick” but rather a response to systemic inequities and societal injustice.

“You take an entire conversation I had with Marc Lamont Hill and pick the bits that you can racialize because this is your schtick,” Reid fired back, denying that her approach was anything less than intentional and grounded in truth. Morgan countered, “You racialize everything, Joy, come on… It’s not my schtick, it was your schtick, but people got bored with it.”

The Homophobic Blog Controversy: Morgan Strikes Again

The conversation shifted when Morgan brought up Reid’s 2018 blog controversy, which resurfaced when homophobic posts she had written for an old Florida-based blog came to light. Reid initially denied writing the posts, but later issued an apology, acknowledging that her past views did not reflect who she was today. Morgan’s decision to bring up the incident during the interview only added fuel to an already contentious exchange, underscoring the ideological divide between the two.

The Cultural Divide: Race, Media, and Politics

As the interview neared its end, it became clear that both Reid and Morgan were entrenched in their positions. For Morgan, Reid’s exit from MSNBC was a direct result of declining audience interest, primarily driven by her reliance on racial commentary. In contrast, Reid argued that her firing was tied to the discomfort some White viewers felt with a Black woman speaking boldly about racial issues, a dynamic she felt was too often downplayed in discussions about representation and media.

The exchange highlighted not just the personal differences between Morgan and Reid, but also the broader national debate over race, media bias, and the future of cable news. For Morgan, Reid’s focus on race became a liability, while for Reid, the criticism of her approach underscored the broader structural challenges facing Black voices in mainstream media.

Conclusion: A Debate With No Resolution

By the end of the interview, neither Morgan nor Reid had yielded ground. The combative dynamic between the two, fueled by ideological differences and a deep cultural divide, exposed the fault lines that continue to shape political and media discourse. The debate between ratings and race, personal responsibility and structural inequity, illustrated the complexity of modern media and the challenges that personalities like Reid face as they push for greater representation and racial justice within the media landscape.

For now, it seems the conversation between Piers Morgan and Joy Reid is far from over. And as cable news continues to grapple with its shifting audience and fractured political landscape, the conversation about race and representation will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of the media’s evolving narrative.