Black news audiences were shocked on Friday (Nov. 4) to learn that veteran journalist Tiffany Cross’ MSNBC show, “The Cross Connection,” was abruptly pulled from the airwaves.
The news commentary show launched in 2020 in an effort to pull in a more diverse pool of viewers. The program aired on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon and immediately became a ratings juggernaut.
A source told Variety that network executives pulled the plug on the show and Cross’ two-year contract when they grew “concerned about the anchor’s willingness to address statements made by cable-news hosts on other networks and indulging in commentary executives felt did not meet the standards of MSNBC or NBC News.”
Cross appeared on the Nov. 3 episode of “Hell of A Week with Charlamagne tha God,” where she, along with guests Joe Coscarelli and Donnell Rawlings, played a game of One’s Gotta Go. During the segment, the guests weighed in on which swing state Democratic candidates could afford to lose during the upcoming midterm elections.
Cross jokingly said, “Florida clearly looks like the d**k of the country, so let’s get rid of Florida.” She continued, “Ron DeStupid, Ron DeSantis, whatever you wanna call Florida man, he is so problematic. He traffics in stupidity and ignorance, and I just think they are a problem for the rest of the country. Let’s get them out.” According to multiple reports, including Yahoo News, the remark was the final straw for MSNBC, which terminated Cross hours after the show aired.
Cross addressed her termination in a statement. “Fresh off the heels of a ‘racial reckoning,’ as so many have called it, we see that with progress there is always backlash,” she said. Cross proceeded to say she was proud that “The Cross Connection” had been “disruptive and transformative, changing how politics are discussed and making policy more digestible.”
She continued, “While this journey ended abruptly, surprising many of us, my work is not done. … The attacks on me from other outlets and former hosts will never control my narrative.”
Fellow MSNBC journalist Joy Reid closed out her show, “The Reid Out,” on Friday night by addressing her friend’s unanticipated departure from the network. “She’s not just my friend, she’s my sister,” Reid said. “I love her, I support her, I was boosting for her to get the show that she created, ‘The Cross Connection,’ which she put her heart and soul into every day.”
Reid, who is known for not holding back when addressing injustices committed against Black people, then slammed far-right personalities who have targeted Cross online. “You don’t understand how sisters move. So, watch this space. We will be here. Her sisters will be here to support anything Tiffany Cross ever does. Know that. Believe that,” Reid said.
Watch Tiffany Cross’ appearance on “Hell of A Week with Charlamagne tha God” below.