Former President Donald Trump took aim at MSNBC’s rebrand early Thursday, blasting the network’s new name, MS NOW, as a desperate attempt to mask failure.
“MSNBC IS DOING SO POORLY IN THE RATINGS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO CHANGE THEIR NAME IN ORDER TO GET AWAY FROM THE STENCH OF THEIR FAKE NEWS PRODUCT,” Trump wrote in an all-caps Truth Social post. He added that the network was a “FAILURE BY ANY NAME.”
MSNBC, now branded “My Source News Opinion World,” announced the change earlier this week as part of Comcast’s spinoff into a new company called Versant. The new group will also house CNBC, USA, Oxygen, and E!, with CNBC keeping its name but adopting a new logo.
The rollout quickly drew backlash online, with critics mocking “MS NOW” as sounding more like a defunct software program or a medical fundraiser than a news outlet. Trump seized on the moment, ridiculing Comcast CEO Brian Roberts as “dopey” and claiming the company was “flailing in the wind.”
Versant chairman Mark Lazarus defended the changes, saying the rebrand was designed to reduce “brand confusion.” He emphasized that MS NOW would continue to serve a progressive audience while maintaining its mission of holding politicians from both parties accountable.
In a note to readers, MSNBC said its “commitment to this community remains as strong as it’s ever been” and promised new ways to connect with audiences in the coming months.
Trump, meanwhile, continued his attacks on the network. Over the weekend, he claimed MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace would soon be fired, sharing a meme depicting her as a clown and mocking her ratings. “She is a loser, with bad ratings, who was already thrown off of ‘The View.’ She will be fired soon! MSNBC IS DEAD!” he posted.