'Reasons may surprise you': Attorney says he's leaving MSNBC -- and joining right-wing TV
Source: Raw Story
February 15, 2025 5:10PM ET
A popular figure on MSNBC is departing from the network, and explaining his various reasons. Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, who recently posted a video focusing on "points of light," as he sees them, in the legal world, has chimed in on legal matters on MSNBC for years.
Now, however, the analyst says he's going 100% independent. "Some of the reasons may surprise you," he said Saturday. In a post on the Substack blogging platform, Kirschner walked through his history at MSNBC.
"For the past six-and-a-half years, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of appearing on TV to discuss and analyze the legal issues of the day. I’ll be honest, growing up as a rough-and-tumble kid in Jersey, someone who was far more interested in playing football, wrestling, drinking beer with my buddies, and getting in minor scrapes with the law, I never thought anyone would give me the opportunity," the expert wrote. "And yet, I became an on-air legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, discussing legal developments involving, among other things, criminal investigations and prosecutions of a president of the United States."
Kirschner said MSNBC offered him a contract as a legal analyst, and that he has been with them ever since. "Until just a few weeks ago," he teased. Kirschner went on to say his departure stems in part from a "growing concern" about his work.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/kirschner-leaving-msnbc-reasons/
He's apparently going to do a deep dive in looney world.
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elleng
(141,926 posts)He puts it more fully: *The concern I think I tried for a long time to ignore or suppress was whether I was reaching diverse audiences. Put another way, was I penetrating conservative bubbles or was I just preaching to the converted?" he asked. "I think it’s fair to say that relatively few Trump supporters watch MSNBC, and relatively few Biden/Harris supporters regularly tuned in to Fox, NewsNation, or other right-leaning outlets."
This is in part why Kirschner says he is going to be doing the rounds on the right-wing networks.
"So, I decided to do something different. I don’t pretend it will have some huge impact. I’m just one voice. Still, if we put enough voices together, we can create a chorus that just might be heard," the ex-prosecutor wrote. "I decided to offer myself up to any and all conservative news outlets to talk about the legal issues of the day from the perspective of a career federal prosecutor."'
https://www.rawstory.com/kirschner-leaving-msnbc-reasons/
Sounds rational to me, though a difficult task.
BumRushDaShow
(169,761 posts)stevenleser, used to do that!
xpost from GD: Me on Fox News' America's News HQ re: Obama Admin's conf call on Obamacare
Polybius
(21,901 posts)Last post was in 2018.
bluestarone
(22,179 posts)My hats off to him though. Maybe, just maybe some of the crazies might hear the TRUTH for a change. 
msfiddlestix
(8,178 posts)stupid shit show.
Mr. Mustard 2023
(361 posts)they'll edit him to appear as though he agrees with MAGA. I agree with Glenn about breaking away from MSNBC to reach more people, but if he thinks Fox and the rest are going to treat him honestly he's naive. I hope he knows this and has a plan because the idea itself is good.
msfiddlestix
(8,178 posts)
radical noodle
(10,595 posts)I don't know if Kirshner will be able to do the same. I think he will have to stick to interviews with a news host, rather than The Five or someone like Hannity where he'll be sidelined.
Shipwack
(3,065 posts)I honestly don't know if Kirschner has that talent. He is very knowledgeable and skillful, but this might be a different kettle of fish.
I guess it depends on whether it's canned or live. He has a chance of being effective if he's not edited. Then again, his points might be shouted over. Fox News etc al[/Al is different from the courtroom or being on your own (or a friendly) podcast.
I'm hopeful, and wishing him the best.
Justice matters.
(9,787 posts)He doesn't "like" what he reaps and he's probably scared of being BLAMED in part for the upcoming "depression" and the dead US spies all over the world.
So he hopes to try to turn his rotting ship by bringing a voice of reason and knowledge of the law?
CTyankee
(68,202 posts)He hasn't figured out that these people are vicious?
no_hypocrisy
(54,908 posts)Last edited Sun Feb 16, 2025, 11:33 AM - Edit history (1)
attempt to inform Independents and maybe a few MAGAts about what's really going on. To give them information that they wouldn't know about on traditional mainstream media (TV, newspapers, websites) and of course, Sinclair and FOX. Well, only if the other media have the balls to book him. He's not going to change his message.
elleng
(141,926 posts)
riversedge
(80,811 posts)I admire him for his willingness to do this.
...........Kirschner went on to say his departure stems in part from a "growing concern" about his work.
"After a few years of regular – sometimes daily – appearances, I had a growing concern: was I making a positive contribution to what appeared to be the continual erosion of the vitality of the rule of law? Was I doing anything of value in the battle for a healthy American democracy? The concern I think I tried for a long time to ignore or suppress was whether I was reaching diverse audiences. Put another way, was I penetrating conservative bubbles or was I just preaching to the converted?" he asked. "I think it’s fair to say that relatively few Trump supporters watch MSNBC, and relatively few Biden/Harris supporters regularly tuned in to Fox, NewsNation, or other right-leaning outlets."
This is in part why Kirschner says he is going to be doing the rounds on the right-wing networks.
"So, I decided to do something different. I don’t pretend it will have some huge impact. I’m just one voice. Still, if we put enough voices together, we can create a chorus that just might be heard," the ex-prosecutor wrote. "I decided to offer myself up to any and all conservative news outlets to talk about the legal issues of the day from the perspective of a career federal prosecutor."
Read the full post here.
True Blue American
(18,579 posts)Most were offered less money in their contracts. He has been appearing more in videos. But nice try, Glenn. Even Rachel had to take $5 million less.
orleans
(36,919 posts)
Bluetus
(2,797 posts)that really isn't allowed by their mega-sized very right wing corporate owner to say much of anything on air.
The most obvious example of this self-censorship that sticks with me was December 2020 when Trump fired all the top brass at the Pentagon and put in his henchmen (Kash Patel and friends). Rachel did report that, but it was like "Golly this seems a little strange, well what are you gonna do?" Then on the the next story. And when Jan 6 happened and the henchmen played a decisive role in denying National Guard support, it was 100% obvious how this all went down, but all we ever got from Comcast/MSNBC was "Golly, that's a tough break. Go figure." That's just one glaring example of how the MSNBC gang traded integrity for money, but it happens every hour of every day on that network.
MSNBC needs to go away. We need other outlets that can speak and act more freely, and not easily be bullied. That means a federated approach to getting the truth out. That is why Bluesky has become so popular so quickly. There are 50, maybe 250 good strong voices there with big followings, easily reaching a bigger audience than MSNBC gets these days. It will be hard for Trump and his thugs to bully all of them.
There are some good people at MSNBC. I hope they can make their escape sooner rather than later. Money is an issue. People need to make a living. They don't need to have $5M or $2.5M contracts, and if that is what Rachel is working for, I can live without her. I'd like to think that Nicole Wallace, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Katie Phang, and Joy Reid could find a place in the newer media landscape that works for them.
Let's get real about audiences. MSNBC programs have audiences of 300-400K normally. Since the Trump/Musk show started, they are getting more people tuning into the "We hate Trump" programming. MSNBC makes its money by featuring Trump, not by being a liberal voice. Be that as it may, they are currently in the 700K range for their nightly run of "Trump is a poopy head" 4-hour show with no real information of use to people who want to actually make a difference. Meanwhile, over on Bluesky, which has really only been broadly open to new accounts for a few months, we have:
Mark Cuban: 1.3M followers
Mark Elias: 6325K
George Takei: 1.1M
Aaron Rupar: 350K
Meidas Touch: 850K
George Conway : 700K
Laurence Tribe: 300K
Brian Cohen: 725K
Mueller, She Wrote: 650K
Ron Filipkowski: 650K
Mark Hamill: 1.1M
AOC: 1.8M
Stephen King: 875K
Rachel Maddow: 825K
Chris Hayes: 625K
Robert Reich: 600K
Propublica: 525K
Pete Buttigieg: 500K
Rick Wilson: 475K
Adam Kinzinger: 625K
In other words, the reach on Bluesky is vastly greater than MSNBC, and you get uncensored information from all of those people listed above. Bluesky *IS* what we all wished MSNBC could have been but never was. Moreover, Bluesky is growing about one user per second. Most of the accounts listed above will reach in the millions before summer.
Now for some really bleak information. The top user (regardless of area of interest) on Bluesky is AOC with 1.8M followers. The only other national politicians (currently in office) in the top 100 are: Jasmine Crockett at #51, Elizabeth Warren at #85 and Bernie Sanders at @87. Where the F is the Democratic communication strategy?
https://vqv.app/stats/
erronis
(23,882 posts)
wordstroken
(1,406 posts)I will continue to monitor their stats to see how it changes.
Bluetus
(2,797 posts)Last edited Sun Feb 16, 2025, 04:52 PM - Edit history (1)
I was hopeful that Mastodon would become the real successor to Twitter and Facebook, but Mastodon has stalled somewhat. It could still be a long-term player if the world moves toward the federated model. But for now, Bluesky is where the action is.
And let's be realistic. We don't know what Bluesky's motives are. For the moment, they are running without any advertising and without any algorithms that shove Bot traffic at you. But that can't do this forever. They openly acknowledge that they will need to add revenue streams, but they also seem to recognize the inherent evil in systems like Twitter and Meta where a single billionaire decides what you will see.
Bluesky is growing rapidly. It has well over 30 million users now. That sounds like a small number compared to what may be 275M active users still on Twitter. However, there is little bot presence on Bluesky because there are no algorithms a bit can exploit and no opportunity to buy access. Bluesky is almost entirely American at this point, and while it is not a purely political site, most of the top users are politics-minded. You have people like Rex Chapman and George Takei, who are somewhat political but also interested in pop culture.
What I'm saying is that as far as US progressive politics are concerned, Bluesky is ALREADY bigger than Twitter. And 30M+ users is a critical mass that will attract others who are less politically engaged, making this a good opportunity to go beyond the "preaching to the choir" atmosphere one has at MSNBC.
It is a different experience. MSNBC is from the couch potato world. People consume Buesky from their phones in little bits and pieces throughout the day. It is a more engaging, active way to get information. And it is bidirectional. You might actually get a response from Mark Cuban, AOC, or one of the other big users if you make an important point or ask a provocative question.
Will Bluesky be a big thing a year from now? I have no idea, but it is happening now. All of us should be there, supporting the strong voices on our side. And any Dem politician who doesn't already understand what Bluesky is and how it can help us communicate should resign now and let a younger, more tech-savvy person take the lead. I say this as a person who is old enough to have voted in the Carter-Ford election. And I note that Elizabeth and Bernie are both older than me, and they get it. Why do we not see Schumer, Jeffries, Pelosi, the Obamas, the Clintons, the Bidens, or Harris on that list? If they aren't engaging to protect our democracy today, when will they?
wordstroken
(1,406 posts)Nailed it! 
NJCher
(43,165 posts)eom
Polly Hennessey
(8,834 posts)Frasier Balzov
(5,062 posts)And whether she will still have him on her show.
LymphocyteLover
(9,847 posts)because the quoted excerpt didn't really explain much.
madaboutharry
(42,033 posts)And he is. Will he get through to a right wing MAGA audience? Chances are slim, imo.
The right wing MAGA adherents are brainwashed. They need deprogramming by experts who help get people out of cults.
MadameButterfly
(4,039 posts)especially from someone who have the creds to do so. We need to stop being purists and welcome a broad tent under the ideal of democracy. We have wasted a lot of time preaching to the chior.
We are the heart and soul of all of this. But the people who can reach out further are critical.
Attilatheblond
(8,878 posts)Will wait and see how this goes before forming an opinion of this action.
hlthe2b
(113,972 posts)and seemed to be "down-the-line" consistent with the law and constitution in his messaging. Then RW media found him, and for whatever other reasons, he became "something else"—and that was neither consistent nor laudable. Now all respect for Turley is gone--except by MAGA.
I don't think this will be the case with Kirschner, but he is going into the belly of the beast--at least if they will let him.
JohnnyRingo
(20,870 posts)After reading the entire article I'm sure Sean Hannity won't ask him back, but other shows there may bring him on as a voice of the looney left. Like the liberal punching bag on "The Five". Still, he may at least make the hard right think.
Good for him. I wish him well.
Deuxcents
(26,917 posts)orleans
(36,919 posts)
i loved it when he was on countdown. and then...
turley turned
WestMichRad
(3,255 posts)Love his “Justice Matters” videos.
I highly doubt his hoped for new target audience wants to hear what he has to say.
MadameButterfly
(4,039 posts)If this is about gettng the message beyond the choir I'm all for it
If it's a step it the direction of talking like the MAGA folks, all is lost.
WestMichRad
(3,255 posts)that he isn’t sliding to the dark side. Glenn is a career prosecutor and civil servant who is truly disgusted with the direction things are going.
hunter
(40,691 posts)He's already on the dark side.
cilla4progress
(26,525 posts)Preparing to be disappointed.
We ARE truly on our own..as Marc Elias says.
bucolic_frolic
(55,141 posts)says the full article. Able to do YouTube.
Don't know what to make of it. Testing the waters, aware of cutbacks at MSNBC, seeing the writing on the wall, hopes for a bigger payday? In the uncertainty of the world we live in, could be considerations or possibilities.
DeeDeeNY
(3,953 posts)and the actual meaning he's trying to impart will not get through. They've done that before.
doc03
(39,086 posts)Matters" certainly has been proven bullshit anyway. In today's America there is no justice.
kerouac2
(1,495 posts)They have shown that editing video to shape it to their message is not beneath them
Heck, it is standard operating procedure.
TheRickles
(3,386 posts)The guy knows what he's doing. I wish him well.
Bengus81
(10,165 posts)and kicks their collective asses every time. Kirschner isn't going to kowtow to any of them. I've watched too many of his segments.
cachukis
(3,937 posts)
LPBBEAR
(658 posts)is more about the Benjamins than anything else. I knew who the article was going to be about by just the headline and before I clicked on the article.
He has made a career out of grand predictions that have mostly failed to materialize and selling "hopium" and progressive pron disguised as legal commentary. I watched him scramble to justify his failed predictions after the last election and decided my time was more valuable to me than to waste it on listening to him and his BS.
I'm sure this won't be popular with many of his fans here but in my opinion him and several other commentators on "our side" are mostly just doing it for a buck and offer nothing constructive or productive.
Its just a gig for some of them.
mdbl
(8,650 posts)We'll see.
I think he took a look at MSNBC and thought they may be running into problems soon and the grass looked greener elsewhere.
About the same as Bezos, Zuckerberg etc.
cilla4progress
(26,525 posts)As pissed about this as I am the rest of it.
Simon "I'd rather be us than them" Rosenberg.
Ugh
True Blue American
(18,579 posts)You know what they will say before they start.
Let us not kid ourselves both sides are in it for the same reason, thwe bucks.
CNN CAVED ON COSTA, true to put him on the graveyard shift and put tired ,old Wolf in his place.
He told them publicly to take this job and shove it. Took them by surprise.
Cable T V is fading fast. Few young people are watching.
I went with basic, have more channels than I did with higher tiers. They are on higher channels. Keep raining the price they will go,too.
Botany
(77,324 posts)
The biggest criminal in American History is now President again
after a dirty election and a corrupt Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment Article 3 doesn’t
say what it says.
Raven123
(7,797 posts)I’ve seen a number of his videos. They are a bit long for me and since I generally know where he is going, I don’t find them that helpful. However, he is clear, calm and perhaps he can make an impact.
Oopsie Daisy
(6,670 posts)Good luck, Glenn.
Oopsie Daisy
(6,670 posts)* outlets of his choosing now that he no longer has an exclusive agreement with MSNBC?
I think the word "joining" is ambiguous enough to be misleading (intentionally?) and when I see that it's from "Raw Story" it makes sense.
Oh... there it is! He's going to be 100% INDEPENDENT... so he's not "JOINING" any RW television outlet at all, is he?
somsai
(237 posts)Making oneself available to all programs doesn't equal right wing TV, it equals not being confined to the silo.
mdbl
(8,650 posts)Which is why I don't think those moron channels will let him speak, but we'll see soon enough.
IL Dem
(889 posts)Oopsie Daisy
(6,670 posts)
FakeNoose
(41,634 posts)Last edited Sun Feb 16, 2025, 04:07 PM - Edit history (1)
He's still going to walk the walk and talk the talk. This is from the Substack link ...
More recently, I watched as cable news networks covered Trump’s speech and Q & A session at the economic forum at Davos. Trump’s address included lies, half-truth, and insults. Yet some networks broadcast his diatribe largely uninterrupted and with little or no fact-checking, comment or correction. I view this as damaging to our democracy, and anathema to responsible journalism.
So, I am opting to be 100% independent in what I do moving forward – in my writing, my commentary, and my daily legal analysis videos on my Justice Matters YouTube channel as well as The Legal Breakdown videos I do with Brian Tyler Cohen on his YouTube channel.
I will always be a fan of Glenn Kirschner and "Justice Matters" but I doubt that I'll watch him on Faux Noise.
Good luck to you sir, you will need it!
PBC_Democrat
(451 posts)As other folks correctly pointed out -- there is a part of the conservative crowd that is immune to the truth and they will never be persuaded. But I believe, especially with evidence of ticket splitting, that their is a large group that is at least will to listen.
I would love to see a Point - Counterpoint type show with two notable and talented debaters. No talking points, no bumper sticker tropes, no gotcha one-liners -- just genuine discussion. I believe that kind of show would grab a great group on open-minded folks.
Mawspam2
(1,106 posts)Time to get on the corporate billionaire money train.
Ken Mosul
(45 posts)Follow the $$.
snot
(11,804 posts)I arrive at a page that says, "Oh no – this page has croaked."
But if evading bubble-isation is is true motivation, I applaud it.
aggiesal
(10,804 posts)Oopsie Daisy
(6,670 posts)
ificandream
(11,837 posts)His rants seemed to be too much about him. I won't miss him at all.
czarjak
(13,639 posts)"We need to learn how to talk to these people."
Sorry, Cassie, we already know how. It's the listening part we can't get past with 'em.
DallasNE
(8,008 posts)His reasons are noble but I don't see him being in much demand "over there". Hopefully, I will be proven wrong. Looking at recent Supreme Court decisions he has a thankless job because of how partisan those decisions have become. But I wish him well..
Evolve Dammit
(21,777 posts) 
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(135,725 posts)Hope they don't censor his words.
IronLionZion
(51,269 posts)Why I Left MSNBC
mountain grammy
(29,035 posts)once a week.. I've also heard him on Stand Up with Pete, Pete Dominick's podcast, which I highly recommend to all DU'ers.. He really does some great interviews.
SWBTATTReg
(26,257 posts)(and of course, never a faux/fake commentator, you would have to drag in chains to listen to these scumbags, who never really have anything of import other than to knock others down constantly). As you all know, he's a very thoughtful and concise commentator.
I wish Glenn K. the absolute best (he deserves it), and I suspect we'll continue to see him in the future.
Dyedinthewoolliberal
(16,211 posts)I don't believe Glenn will be allowed to speak the way he speaks now. I wonder if he's gonna keep his YouTube channel?
czarjak
(13,639 posts)"We need to learn how to talk to these people."
Sorry, Cassie, we already know how. It's the listening part we can't get past with 'em.
Good luck, Glen K.
Rhiannon12866
(255,535 posts)After 6.5 years as a legal analyst with NBC News and MSNBC, I asked to be released from my contract. The MSNBC leadership was very gracious and supportive, and agreed to release me.
This video explains why I decided to leave MSNBC and what I'll be doing moving forward.
I am now 100% independent in all of my legal analysis work, and I've just launched on Substack, where you can find my columns, my posts and my other work.
I hope you'll consider following me on Substack (where I don't put any of my content behind a paywall): GlennKirschner.Substack.com - Glenn Kirschner - 02/16/2025.
Mike 03
(18,690 posts)Obeidallah Show and the Stephanie Miller Show.
GreenWave
(12,641 posts)That viewpoint is splattered around enough.
maxsolomon
(38,729 posts)"So, I decided to do something different. I don’t pretend it will have some huge impact. I’m just one voice. Still, if we put enough voices together, we can create a chorus that just might be heard," the ex-prosecutor wrote. "I decided to offer myself up to any and all conservative news outlets to talk about the legal issues of the day from the perspective of a career federal prosecutor."