Claim:
Elon Musk promised to fire MSNBC host Joy Reid after he acquires the network.
In late 2024, a rumor was circulating that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk promised to fire MSNBC host Joy Reid after he supposedly acquires the network.
For example, the website SpaceXMania published an article on Nov. 29 with the headline: "Elon Musk Promises to Fire Joy Reid After MSNBC Acquisition." The top of the article read:
In a bold and controversial move, Elon Musk has announced his acquisition of MSNBC for a reported $5 billion, pledging to overhaul the network and bring what he calls "a much-needed dose of reality" to the news landscape. The most headline-grabbing promise of Musk's new venture? Firing long-time MSNBC host Joy Reid.
"Joy Reid is out," Musk declared in a tweet shortly after the acquisition was confirmed. "She represents everything that's wrong with modern media: divisive narratives, woke pandering, and, let's be honest, way too many bad takes."
Social media users on Facebook and Threads also shared the claim, with some people appearing to believe the story is authentic. For example, one person wrote: "Good. Fire Joy and Rachel."
However, the rumor about Musk and Reid was not true. While Musk has expressed interest in buying MSNBC, he hasn't announced an alleged acquisition.
SpaceXMania, the site where the claim originated, describes its content as satirical on its "About Us" page:
Welcome to our website, owned and operated by Funky Productions LLC. We are a team of writers and editors based in New York, USA. Our mission? To bring you the freshest fake news, some sassy analysis, and a good dose of satire, all rolled into one crazy concoction that orbits around Elon Musk and everything that's lighting up the viral/trending charts.
In fact, the article with the claim contained multiple "satire" labels throughout it. Likewise, a note at the bottom read: "This is SATIRE, It's Not True." Therefore, we have categorized this rumor as one that is labeled satire.
Further, Musk has not posted about Reid on X since July 2024, which contradicts the claim in the SpaceXMania article that he posted on the platform about the alleged firing.
In November 2024, Musk responded to a false rumor that Comcast was putting up MSNBC for sale (archived), posting on X, "How much does it cost?"
That post fueled unsubstantiated rumors about Musk's future with the network. For instance, conservative commentators such as Trish Regan claimed, without citing evidence, that Reid and other anchors were panicking about losing their jobs. Regan posted a video titled: "Joy Reid First to be Fired! MSNBC hosts PANIC as Elon Musk Considers Purchasing Network."
Snopes has previously addressed similar claims about alleged acquisitions by Musk, including fictional stories about plans to acquire ABC and McDonald's.