Jen Psaki Says MSNBC Viewers Don't Expect Trump Praise — And She's Not About to Start

MSNBC’s Jen Psaki is getting a lot more screen time, and she’s not shy about what her audience expects: don’t hold your breath for any Trump fan mail during her primetime slots. Psaki, the former Biden press secretary, is set to take over the 9 p.m. hour Tuesdays through Thursdays, as Rachel Maddow scales back to her Monday show. The message to viewers is pretty clear—if you’re tuning in for glowing Trump coverage, you might want to change the channel now.

Psaki told Dylan Byers on "The Grill Room" podcast that MSNBC’s liberal audience comes for coverage of the opposition, and they know it won’t be a lovefest for the former president. She summed it up with a laugh: "I don’t think anybody watching expects it to be positive, right?" And honestly, it’s refreshing to see someone in cable news just say the quiet part out loud.

While she’s had Republicans on her program, Psaki says there’s no pressure to woo conservative viewers or shift toward the center. Each show has its "North Star," but the overall vibe is firmly under the same umbrella—one that’s definitely not MAGA red.

The interview didn’t shy from the question: is MSNBC more than just a "scream pillow for the left"? Psaki acknowledged Rachel Maddow’s unique role and influence, especially in highlighting anti-Trump protests, but pointed out that Maddow avoids stoking fear, even with the political climate as tense as it is. "People are scared at home, you have to give them some sense of what is also happening," Psaki said, highlighting the balancing act between outrage and reassurance.

Looking ahead, Psaki sees a party in flux—with no clear Democratic leader on the horizon. She mentioned DNC Vice Chair David Hogg as someone she’d like a real talk with, exploring what the future of the party actually looks like. "What is clear is things shouldn’t be done how they were done in the past," she said. And let’s be honest, in this wild political landscape, the only thing more unpredictable than the news cycle is what cable news does next.