MSNBC Officially Hires Former Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a daily press conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on April 29, 2022. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

MSNBC announced Tuesday that it officially hired former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, coming after months of speculation that she would join the left-wing cable network after departing the Biden administration.

Psaki will make appearances on MSNBC’s cable and streaming programs, the company said. She will also host her own show, the title of which has yet to be determined.

The program is scheduled to debut sometime during the first quarter of 2023 and will “bring together her unique perspective from behind the podium and her deep experience in the highest levels of government and presidential politics,” the network said Tuesday in a statement.

“Her extensive experience in government and on the campaign trail and perspective as a White House and Washington insider is the type of analysis that sets MSNBC apart,“ MSNBC President Rashida Jones said in a statement. ”She’s a familiar face and trusted authority to MSNBC viewers, and we look forward to her insight during this consequential election season.”

The statement said she will also “appear on NBC and during MSNBC’s primetime special election programming throughout the midterms and 2024 presidential election.”

Psaki worked as the White House’s chief spokesperson for President Joe Biden’s first 16 months in office, often handling answering the most significant questions about Biden’s job performance. So far, Biden has partaken in few news conferences or media appearances, with some Republicans noting that as of this week, the president has gone more than 100 days without a mainstream media interview.

Psaki left earlier this month and the administration named Karine Jean-Pierre as her replacement.

MSNBC, meanwhile, is known as having a left-wing slant and often promotes the Democrats’ or Biden administration’s political interests. With Psaki’s quick departure from the White House to MSNBC, it’s likely that her commentary and show’s content will mirror rhetoric from the administration.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Psaki wrote: “Thrilled to join the incredible MSNBC family this fall. Breaking down the facts and getting to the bottom of what’s driving the issues that matter most to people in this country has never been more important.” She didn’t elaborate.

The network also recently hired Symone Sanders, former spokeswoman for Vice President Kamala Harris and a longtime Democrat campaign strategist.

Psaki’s hiring comes as MSNBC’s ratings appear to be slumping. Nicolle Wallace’s “Deadline: White House” was the only program on the network to break the 1 million viewer mark on Friday, according to Nielsen’s ratings. In April, ratings showed MSNBC was still the second-most-watched cable news network after Fox News, although it is struggling to attract the coveted 25-to-54 age demographic.