Joy Reid’s final sign off on MSNBC’s ‘The ReidOut’: ‘You don’t always win every battle, but the whole thing is about resisting’

Joy Reid signed off from “The ReidOut” for the final time tonight, marking the end of her evening broadcast on MSNBC. Over the weekend, the network made the shocking announcement that it was canceling her show, leaving fans across social media stunned. Still, Reid approached her last episode on Monday, Feb. 24, with her signature unapologetic style.

She opened the show with a powerful question: “When you are in the midst of a crisis, and specifically a crisis of democracy, how do you resist – when fascism isn’t just coming, it’s already here?” Staying true to her fearless approach to journalism, Reid urged viewers to look to history during these moments of turmoil, reminding them of America’s long legacy of resistance movements that have fought for a truly multiracial democracy.

“The first rule is to fight back, to never stop resisting… even if it’s scary, or uncomfortable, or inconvenient. Just keep saying no and finding creative ways to say no, in small ways and large,” she declared. “You don’t always win every battle, but the whole thing is about resisting.”

With layered messaging that felt like double entendres, Reid navigated the evening’s conversation around acts of resistance happening nationwide, referencing Elon Musk’s impact on the political landscape post-Trump administration.

MSNBC’s decision to cancel Reid’s 7 p.m. show after five years on air comes amid a leadership change, with the network’s new president, Rebecca Kutler, looking to boost ratings. Predictably, Donald Trump took to social media to gloat over Reid’s departure, calling her “one of the least talented people in television” and saying she “should have been ‘canned’ long ago, along with everyone else who works there.”

But while Trump celebrated, a wave of support flooded in for Reid from fans, including groups like Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.—Reid is a member—and Win With Black Women—the organization that championed Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Using the hashtag #WeNeedJoy, Win With Black Women launched a movement encouraging viewers to tune in to Reid’s final show with a goal of reaching 15 million views, then turn off their TVs in protest of MSNBC’s decision.

“Over the course of my career, Joy Reid has been one of the few to give me and so many other Black voices consistent airtime. Black women’s voices are needed now more than ever,” journalist Karen Attiah posted on X. “This cancellation hurts, but the bounce back will be impeccable. We got you, Joy.”

Just as Reid was met with love online, she was also surrounded by support in the studio. Moments before going live, she hopped on Instagram Live to reveal her “studio audience” for the night—crew members, her glam squad, and fellow media personalities like Tiffany Cross.

“My show had value,” she said, as reported by theGrio. “What I was doing had value… Whether it was the Black Lives Matter issues… [or] talking about Gaza and the fact that we as the American people have… a right to object to little babies being bombed… I am not sorry that I stood up for those things.”

Fellow MSNBC anchors Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, and Lawrence O’Donnell joined her on-air, each expressing their shock and disappointment over losing their colleague.

Reid closed her farewell broadcast with a heartfelt message to her crew and the viewers: “Shoutout to our amazing Reiders, our audience. I just love running into y’all in the airport, on these streets, on social media. I could not love or appreciate y’all more.” She continued, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for holding us down [for] almost five years. We are a toddler, and we are out in these streets, in this world and we are not going to stop.”

As “The ReidOut” ended, Jen Psaki opened her show by paying tribute to Reid: “I want to thank her because she’s done amazing work here. She tells stories no one tells. She does that fearlessly on her show. But also for the person that she is… She’s somebody whose mind, talent, and fierceness I admire so much.”

While Reid’s journey at MSNBC has come to an end, her voice and influence live on through her social media and Substack, where she continues to speak truth to power.