MSNBC Reconsiders, Says Sam Seder Is ‘Welcome On Our Air Going Forward’

By Chris Ariens 

MSNBC has done an about-face with contributor Sam Seder.

Four days after cutting ties with the progressive commentator, MSNBC president Phil Griffin admitted terminating his contract after the revelation of crude but satirical 8-year-old tweet was discovered by alt-right personality Mike Cernovich.

“Sometimes you just get one wrong – and that’s what happened here,” said Griffin in a statement. “We made our initial decision for the right reasons – because we don’t consider rape to be a funny topic to be joked about. But we’ve heard the feedback, and we understand the point Sam was trying to make in that tweet was actually in line with our values, even though the language was not. Sam will be welcome on our air going forward.”

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“I appreciate MSNBC’s thoughtful reconsideration and willingness to understand the cynical motives of those who intentionally misrepresented my tweet for their own toxic, political purposes,” added Seder, who has been appearing on MSNBC for a decade. “We are experiencing an important and long overdue moment of empowerment for the victims of sexual assault and of reckoning for their perpetrators. I’m proud that MSNBC and its staff have set a clear example of the need to get it right.”

Seder’s original contributor deal was to expire in February. There’s no word on whether he’ll be extended at that point.

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