A new report claims that “industry insiders” are talking about Socialist Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becoming a host on CNN or MSNBC.
Two “industry insiders†say Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is being floated as a replacement for the 9:00pm hour at CNN and MSNBC to replace Chris Cuomo or Rachel Maddow.
â¦@DylanByersâ© https://t.co/6oBlHmUuBS
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) December 4, 2021
On Thursday, I was texting an influential cable news insider who said that if CNN really wanted to compete in primetime they should hire… Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to host the 9 p.m. I was both surprised and amused by the idea, then quickly forgot about it since it seemed implausible. Then, an hour or so later, I was texting with an equally influential broadcast news insider, who runs in very different circles than the aforementioned source, and who, with zero prodding, also posited that MSNBC should hire Ocasio-Cortez to host their 9 p.m. hour. When told that this was the second time her name had come up, albeit in reference to a different network, the insider replied: “It’s bubbling out there. … Take a few years, grow your profile, make millions and then run for Senate, or President.†(I reached out to A.O.C.’s office to see what they make of the chatter. No word back yet.)
No, I don’t think A.O.C. is going to leave the Hill to host a cable news show. She’s 32 years old, still in the early innings of a meteoric political career, and a multiplatform talent who probably doesn’t even have cable. But, like I said, the chatter is illustrative. It highlights the fact that both CNN and MSNBC are in need of a Hail Mary in primetime, and also that they’re likely going to have to settle for something far less remarkable: a shuffling of deck chairs. At CNN, Jeff Zucker appears to have three internal candidates to choose from: Lemon, Brianna Keilar or the man who has been chomping at the bit for a prime time slot nearly since he arrived at CNN nearly a decade ago, Jake Tapper. Both Tapper and Cuomo joined CNN from ABC in January 2013. Cuomo, who started at the network in the mornings, eventually got primetime, Tapper didn’t.
The other option is to try to get someone from the outside like Brian Williams, which would take a great deal of convincing as Williams is trying to get out of the five-nights-a-week grind. The storied anchor still has a strong appetite for a third act, as I reported last month, but he’s likely looking for an arena outside of nightly news programming. (The most entertaining idea? Some media executives that I’ve spoken to envision a future where Williams gets his own late-night, news-centered variety show on a streamer like Apple or HBO Max.) Alternatively, Zucker could go with some bold, unanticipated outsider that I can’t possibly fathom. (Footnote: If Lemon moves to 9 p.m., someone like Laura Coates could take 10 p.m.).
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The Palmieri Report is a Pro-America News Outlet founded by Jacob Palmieri. The Palmieri Report is dedicated to giving people the truth so that they can form their own informed political opinions. You can help us beat Big Tech by following us on GETTR , Telegram, and Rumble.
