Rachel Maddow, once the undisputed star of MSNBC and darling of the left, has seen her influence crumble in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Since Election Day 2024, Maddow’s audience has shrunk by a staggering 43%, with her once-popular show now averaging a mere 1.4 million viewers. This dramatic decline highlights a growing disconnect between Maddow’s rhetoric and the American public.
Maddow’s steep ratings drop is even more pronounced among the coveted 25-54 age demographic. Since November 6, her show has lost 56% of this key audience, now averaging just 103,000 viewers. For a host who once commanded millions nightly, this is a striking fall from grace. It’s also a potential disaster for MSNBC, which continues to pay Maddow a reported $25 million per year to anchor a single show a week.
For years, *The Rachel Maddow Show* thrived on a steady diet of Trump criticism, often pushing debunked theories like the infamous Russian collusion hoax. These narratives captured the left’s intense hatred for Trump, propelling her to an average audience of 3.2 million at the height of her influence in 2020. But with Trump now poised for a triumphant return to the White House, Maddow’s fearmongering appears to have lost its appeal, leaving her once-loyal audience tuning out in droves.
Media expert and Fox News contributor Joe Concha pointed out the absurdity of MSNBC’s investment in Maddow. “What was surprising is that MSNBC still doled out $25 million to her to work one night a week. And the return on investment is that she finishes a distant second to Sean Hannity at 9 P.M. Is that money well spent? Rhetorical question,” Concha said. Hannity, a consistent conservative voice on Fox News, continues to dominate the 9 P.M. slot, leaving Maddow in the dust.
Adding to the network’s woes is Alex Wagner, Maddow’s replacement for the rest of the week, who recently suffered her lowest-rated week ever. With MSNBC’s flagship 9 P.M. hour now floundering, the network’s decision to lavish millions on Maddow while sidelining her nightly presence is coming under increased scrutiny.
Maddow’s fading relevance is underscored by her increasingly erratic commentary. Earlier this year, she criticized MSNBC for airing Trump’s Super Tuesday victory speech, calling it “irresponsible to broadcast.” Before the election, she warned that Trump’s re-election would transform him into a dictator—a claim that now rings hollow given Trump’s clear embrace of democratic processes and his agenda for restoring American greatness.
Jeffrey McCall, a journalism professor at DePauw University, believes MSNBC’s decisions about Maddow are more ideological than practical. “These aren’t business decisions,” he noted, pointing to the network’s willingness to pay Maddow tens of millions despite plummeting returns.
For conservatives, Maddow’s unraveling is a fitting end to a career built on divisive rhetoric and baseless accusations. As viewers reject her increasingly irrelevant brand of partisan fearmongering, the lesson is clear: the American people are moving on—and it’s about time.
