EXCLUSIVE: Inside the 'Purge' at MSNBC – Network Aiming to Toss 'Dull' Correspondents Including Willie Geist as Behind-the-scenes Chaos Erupts After Ratings Drop
Willie Geist is 'totally out of step with where MSNBC is heading.'
Sept. 28 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Rabble-rouser Rachel Maddow is finally getting the network she always wanted – and with what insiders are calling a war on "dull," Willie Geist may soon find himself out in the cold, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
With MSNBC's rebrand as MS NOW, insiders say the most liberating change isn't the new logo but the long-overdue purge of NBC's "dull" correspondents after years of top brass forcing buttoned-up reporters into MSNBC's fiery lineup to lend "credibility," creating awkward handoffs and sinking ratings.
Inside The Massive Change
Maddow is finally getting the network she always wanted with the change.
"Honestly, it's a relief," one staffer told Straight Shuter. "Viewers tune in for Rachel, Joe and Mika – people with heat, passion and perspective. Instead, we had to toss to NBC correspondents droning through stories better suited for Nightly News. It killed the energy every time."
The split has already swept away José Diaz-Balart and Steve Kornacki, leaving Maddow and her primetime colleagues free to dominate without interruption. But one holdover still sticks out: Sunday Today host Willie Geist.
Cleaning House Isn't Complete... Yet
Willie Geist may exit next as MS NOW cuts 'dull' correspondents.
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"He's the last of the dull crowd," one insider snipes. "Willie's nice enough, but he's oatmeal – bland, safe and totally out of step with where MSNBC is heading."
Behind the scenes, whispers suggest that Geist's days are numbered.
"Cleaning house isn't finished yet," insists another source. "If MS NOW really wants to lean into its identity, Willie won't survive the next round."
