Politics

Former Kamala Harris Aide Symone Sanders Joins MSNBC As Anchor

Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Girlboss Rally NYC 2018

Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ former chief spokeswoman Symone Sanders is joining MSNBC as an anchor, the network announced Monday.

Sanders left the White House in December and was one of the first in a slew of aides to depart Harris’s team. Prior to her departure, Sanders was in charge of Harris’ messaging – a task marred with missteps as the vice president has come under fire for numerous comments throughout her time in office. (RELATED: ‘We’ve Been To The Border,’ Harris Says, Then Immediately Admits She Hasn’t Been To The Border)

Sanders will be hosting a new weekend show at MSNBC, according to The New York Times.

“I’m going to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is critical,” Sanders said in a statement provided to the NYT. “This administration has its critics, just like everyone does — I have my critics — and we’re going to have those conversations.”

GREER, SOUTH CAROLINA - JUNE 14: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the press as her press secretary Symone Sanders looks on at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport before she boards Air Force Two to return to Washington, DC, June 14, 2021 in Greer, South Carolina. Vice President Harris traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, as part of a nation-wide tour “to reach millions of Americans who still need protection against the virus, highlight the ease of getting vaccinated, encourage vaccinations, and mobilize grassroots vaccine education and outreach efforts,” according to a White House press release. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

GREER, SOUTH CAROLINA – JUNE 14: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the press as her press secretary Symone Sanders looks on at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport before she boards Air Force Two to return to Washington, DC, June 14, 2021 in Greer, South Carolina. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

MSNBC has not yet announced the title and time slot of Sanders’ new program, though it will begin airing sometime in the spring. In addition to being a weekend anchor, Sanders will fill in for other hosts and have her own show on MSNBC’s streaming service.

Sanders was a national press secretary for Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign prior to working for Harris. After that stint, she worked at CNN as a commentator before joining now-President Joe Biden’s campaign in 2019.

“I’m a young woman, a young Black woman from the Midwest,” Sanders said in an interview, according to the NYT. “Yes, I do politics, but I’m also a consumer of pop culture. I watch the news, I check Twitter, but I’m also into ‘Real Housewives.’ I’m interested in reaching what I call the nonpolitical group chats, the discussions that are penetrating outside of Washington.”