MSNBCs Trump-Russia Ratings Fizzle: Time to Pivot to 2020
The Mueller report and its potential implications have driven the networks coverageand monster ratingsfor two years. Now its ended with a whimper, leaving execs in a bind. <https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/maxwell-tani> <https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/maxwell-tani> Maxwell Tani, <https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/lloyd-grove> <https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/lloyd-grove> Lloyd Grove 03.27.19 5:12 AM ET Attorney General William Barrs short letter claiming Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation found no clear evidence of collusion <https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-report-attorney-general-william-barr- gives-congress-summary> between Russia and President Trumps 2016 campaign left some MSNBC personalities dumbfounded on Sunday. Several hours before Barrs letter was released, former intelligence officer Malcolm Nance predicted on MSNBC that the report could technically eclipse Benedict Arnold in its level of treasonous activity. But when Nance returned to MSNBC several hours after Barrs letter was made public, the network contributor did little to hide his displeasure about why the investigation hadnt resulted in more criminal indictments. Weve seen these things occur and in any other standard, these people wouldve been arrested, they wouldve been polygraphed, and wouldve been brought to trial, he said. Over the past two years, Nance has been one of MSNBCs most outspoken personalities commenting on the networks most important story: Muellers investigation of Russian interference. Hosts like Rachel Maddow have seen their ratings notably increase as the investigation unfolded, while other anchors like Ari Melber have built major elements of their shows around interviews of witnesses <https://www.mediaite.com/tv/ari-melber-assembles-corsi-nunberg-carter-page- and-michael-caputo-for-one-bizarre-russia-probe-panel/> of the investigation to get their perspective on Muellers probe. But the release of Barrs summary letter threw a wrench into the narrative that has driven the networks coverage and called into question what the primary narrative would be for the network going forward. Over the past several days, MSNBC and other media outlets have been the targets of criticism from Trump supporters and others <https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumpland-out-for-sweet-sweet-post-mueller-re venge> who felt the networks journalists and commentators had spent too much time obsessing over the Mueller investigation and drawing conclusions that were not borne out by Barr's summary. The White House shared a meme <https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1110350183685128198> mocking Maddows and host Chris Hayes coverage of the investigation. Conservative news <https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ex-cia-director-john-brennan-admits-h e-may-have-had-bad-information-regarding-president-trump-and-russia> outlets and prominent politicians <https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/26/john-cornyn-john-brennan-trump-12 36699> also criticized former CIA director John Brennan, who predicted earlier this month that there could be further indictments and suggested there may be evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Within MSNBC, theres an acknowledgement that the Trump-Russia narrative on which the cable networkand especially its primetime star Maddowbuilt monster ratings has fizzled for the moment. Insiders also claim not to be surprised that the conclusion of the long-awaited Mueller reportor at least the Trump-appointed attorney general's summarywas a whimper, not a bang for an outlet that has invested so much time and energy, in primetime and throughout its dayparts, in the notion that Trump is unworthy of the Oval Office and might at some point be forced to give it up. And its also possible that the Mueller disappointment drove loyal viewers away in much the same way that people avoid looking at their 401(k)s when the stock market is down. Maddow, who has consistently vied for the first or second top-rated cable news program, was sixth on Monday evening, down almost 500,000 total viewers from the previous Monday, as was MSNBCs second top-rated program in primetime, The Last Word With Lawrence ODonnell. Conversely, It was obviously a big couple of nights for Fox, said one network insider, claiming, however, that nobody at MSNBC is panicking. Many top on-air personalities at the network argued Monday night that the public should not jump to conclusions until it has Muellers full report, not a brief, vague summary written by Trumps attorney general. On her program Monday night, Maddow listed a number of unanswered questions from from the Barr letter. Can we expect President Trump and the Trump White House to finally accept the underlying factual record that Russia did in fact attack us? Maddow asked <https://www.businessinsider.com/cnn-msnbc-and-fox-news-mueller-report-cover age-2019-3> . I know, I know, Im just getting crazy. But the Barr report has given us this whirlwind of questions. The Mueller report, if and when we see it, should answer most of them. But tick tock, how long do we have to wait? Many of the networks top figures defended its coverage of the Russia story. Though MSNBC president Phil Griffin <https://www.thedailybeast.com/banter-with-the-beast-msnbcs-head-honcho-phil -griffin-on-admiring-roger-ailes-and-more> did not return The Daily Beasts request for comment, he said in a statement that the Mueller investigation was a huge story and that the network was going to keep doing our job, asking the tough questions, especially when it involves holding powerful people accountable. On Tuesday, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough delivered a lengthy monologue admonishing Trump supporters and media critics who used the Barr summary to discount major reporting by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others on the Mueller investigation. He also acknowledged that while there were some bad actors, they didnt represent the responsible journalism done around the report. What was the media supposed to do at that point? Shrug it off? No. You know the answer, Scarborough said, noting the instances where individuals in Trumps orbit had lied to law enforcement officials. Were there bad actors? he continued later in the show. Yeah, and guess what? We know who they are. We wont have them back on our show. According to network insiders, viewers can expect to hear less about Trumps alleged collusion with Russianswhich Barr has declared an investigative dead endboth from the cable outlets anchors and its paid contributors. Several MSNBC employees who spoke to The Daily Beast following the release of the report said although Nance appears regularly across numerous shows on the network, many producers already had reservations about bringing him on, given his penchant for over-the-top rhetoric related the investigation. But until Mueller <https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-report-its-not-barrs-call-to-clear-tr ump> s full report is released, there is no sense that there will be any major changes at the network or evaluation of its coverage. Nance and Brennan, both contributors, are expected to be back on the air in the coming days. The hope now is that Trumps conduct as president, along with the ramping up of the 2020 presidential campaign, will prove powerful storylines that will give MSNBC the opportunity to regroup. Hayes led his show Tuesday night with an interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg about the Trump administrations decision to pursue <https://www.thedailybeast.com/wtf-is-wrong-with-them-republicans-horrified- as-trump-goes-after-obamacare-again?ref=home> yet another repeal of Obamacare. This stuff ebbs and flows, said one network insider. I think were ebbing. Asked what they thought of Mondays ratings and the path forward for the network, another network source replied succinctly. Time to pivot to 2020, they said. EM -> { Trump for 2020 } On the 49th Parallel Thé Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy" Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi "Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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