White House press secretary Jen Psaki will reportedly join MSNBC after she leaves her current position, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.
Psaki has told White House senior officials about her intention to join MSNBC and has been in close contact with the network, the sources told Axios. The sources also reportedly said the press secretary is expected to leave her current position around May.
She will reportedly host a show for the network on NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, Peacock, and be part of live television programming, according to Axios.
No contracts have currently been signed, which allows Psaki to continue holding press briefings for the time being, according to Axios. She and MSNBC have worked closely with compliance lawyers and the White House counsel’s office to ensure that no government regulations have been violated, the outlet reported.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
NBC, CBS and CNN — who, along with MSNBC, hold front row seats in the briefing room — expressed interest in hiring Psaki, Puck News first reported in early March. The press secretary and her agent, Jay Sures, reportedly attended lunches with MSNBC and CNN executives. (RELATED: CBS News Hires Mick Mulvaney As Contributor)
Rumors first circulated that she intended to replace MSNBC host Rachel Maddow after Maddow took a hiatus from the network in late January, though she has since returned. The press secretary brushed off the rumors of joining MSNBC or CNN at a February press briefing when questioned on the matter by Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba.
“I have more than enough on my plate here and so you can’t get rid of me just yet,” she replied. “Sorry Peter [Doocy] for you on that.”
Though Psaki has not made a formal announcement to the White House press team, she expressed her intention to leave her current position last year to spend more time with her two young children.
“I don’t want to miss time with them,” she said in May. “I don’t want to miss moments. I don’t want to miss things, and I’m very mindful of that as well. It’s a great job. It will be hard, but I also never thought I’d be here, and I also love my kids a lot.”
