A previous host at MSNBC alleged that she was required to have her commentary approved by the network president if it contained any criticism of Hillary Clinton prior to her presidential campaign in 2016.
Krystal Ball, a former congressional candidate from Virginia and co-host of “The Cycle” from 2012 to 2015 on the left-leaning cable news channel owned by Comcast, recalled her monologue in 2014 where she urged Clinton not to seek the Democratic Party nomination.
She made comments to Joe Rogan in a recent podcast that were transcribed and reported by the New York Post.
“I did this whole thing that was like, ‘She sold out to Wall Street. People are gonna hate this lady. She’s like the terrible candidate for the moment. Please don’t run,’” Ball said.
Despite being permitted to express her opinion at the time, Krystal Ball claimed that Phil Griffin, who was the president of MSNBC at the time, informed her that any future commentary regarding Clinton would need approval from him.
“Afterwards, I get pulled into an office and you know [I was told], ‘Great monologue, everything’s fine. But next time you do any commentary on Hillary Clinton, it has to get approved by the president of the network.”
Ball acknowledged that this may have influenced her subsequent commentary on Clinton, as she wanted to avoid getting into trouble with her boss. Ball also expressed her belief that cable news networks have boundaries that employees are aware of, which can result in self-censorship.
Krystal Ball started her career as a certified public accountant (CPA) and worked as a financial analyst before entering the world of politics. She is known for her progressive political views and has been a vocal supporter of left-leaning politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She is also the author of the book The Populist’s Guide to 2020: A New Right and New Left are Rising.
