MSNBC’s Ari Melber Claps Back at Trump’s Claim That the Network Is ‘Close to Death’

Long-time MSNBC anchor Ari Melber has hit back at President Donald Trump‘s claims that the news network is “close to death.”

Trump has long railed against MSNBC and his attacks have only increased since he officially returned to the White House on January 20. Last week, in a Truth Social post on January 22, the president said MSNBC “shouldn’t even have a right to broadcast” and called it “even worse than CNN.”

He continued his rant on the right-wing social media platform on January 25, screaming, “MSNBC IS CLOSE TO DEATH.”

Speaking with Forbes, Melber, who has hosted The Beat with Ari Melber at 6 p.m. ET on the news network since 2017, shot down Trump’s claims, saying, “MSNBC is doing great.”

“We’re reaching more people than ever. We’re beating ESPN and CNN in total audience TV ratings, and last year we beat Fox on YouTube, which is a big part of the future,” he claimed.

The future of cable news has been questioned in recent months following Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory. According to Nielsen, networks such as MSNBC and CNN saw a significant drop in viewership in the first weeks after the election. MSNBC also faced viewer backlash after Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski revealed they met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

However, Melber has disputed the downfall of cable news, telling Forbes, “2024 was a huge, busy year for MSNBC,” noting that the picture tells a different story when you look at the “facts” across the entire year and not just “external events like the campaign or what happens between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which has never been the Bonanza time, and especially not after elections.”

Melber is right, per Nielsen figures, as MSNBC ended 2024 with its most-watched year since 2021 and the only top 120 cable network to post two consecutive years of audience gains. It also marked its largest viewership advantage over CNN in the network’s history, cementing it as the No. 2 network in all of cable television, ahead of ESPN (at No. 3) and CNN (at No .4).

Commenting on the post-election viewership slump, Melber stated, “We have always seen that drop off, and we have always seen people come back to the news,” adding, “I think, over time, people will come back if we prove to them that this is not a re-run. Because there’s a lot of important things happening, including well beyond D.C.”

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As for those who may be feeling burnt out on politics, Melber added, “Take your time and figure out how you want to engage as a citizen. But MSNBC will be here.”

MSNBC has gone through a number of changes in recent weeks, including Rachel Maddow returning to MSNBC’s 9 p.m. ET slot for five nights a week during Trump‘s first 100 days in office. Since 2002, Maddow has only hosted at 9 p.m. on Monday nights.

There were reports last month that MSNBC anchors Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle were offered pay cuts to remain at the network. The Ankler newsletter also reported that Jonathan Lemire, who was recently moved to a permanent co-host slot on Morning Joe’s 9 a.m. hour, has been offered a new contract at a reduced salary.

Then, on January 14, MSNBC’s president, Rashida Jones, announced that she was stepping down after four years at the helm of the cable news channel.

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