Chris Matthews Announces Retirement from MSNBC After Controversial Comments
NEW YORK — Chris Matthews, the longtime host of MSNBC’s political show “Hardball,” announced he is retiring from the broadcast effective Monday after coming under fire over controversial remarks he made to a guest.
Matthews told viewers of his resignation at the top of his broadcast, saying it was a time for a new generation to take over. He also apologized for inappropriate comments he made to women that clearly factored in the decision to leave.
After reading a statement, the program went to commercial break and Matthews was gone. MSNBC political analyst Steve Kornacki took over the broadcast.
Matthews, 74, was recently cited in a GQ.com story in which the author, Laura Bassett, said the anchor made inappropriate flirtatious remarks to her before she went on the air. Bassett first wrote about the incident that allegedly occurred in 2017, but did not mention Matthews by name.
Bassett revisited the matter after Matthews’ aggressive questioning of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts following NBC’s primary debate on Feb. 19.
NBC News has acknowledged that there has been one financial settlement paid to a former female employee who complained about Matthews’ behavior. Matthews received a stern reprimand over the matter.
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