Joy Reid isn’t mincing words after what she calls a “race-baiting ambush” by Piers Morgan during a now-viral interview that spiraled into a heated exchange over race, ratings, and her firing from MSNBC.
In a fiery takedown posted Wednesday, July 16, on her YouTube channel The Joy Reid Show, the former MSNBC host slammed the British commentator as a “rabid, thirsty little troll desperate for attention” after their combative sit-down left her blindsided and frustrated.
The segment, which aired on Thursday on Piers Morgan Uncensored, was initially pitched to Reid as a “free-flowing conversation” on topics like the Trump administration, ICE raids, Elon Musk, and the launch of her new digital venture. But according to Reid, Morgan used the 45-minute discussion to “fixate on his favorite topic, race.”
“Why Black people like me talk so much about race, especially when it comes to Donald Trump,” Reid recounted, calling it ironic. “By bringing up the fact of race and Donald Trump, that is in fact, Piers literally talking about race.”
Ambushed on Air
Reid said she wasn’t surprised Morgan veered off-topic, but was unprepared when he dredged up a controversial blog post from over a decade ago and ambushed her with live commentary from a conservative host accusing her of “stoking racial hatred.”
Things escalated further when Morgan aired a clip of Reid in tears after her MSNBC departure and followed it up with this remark:
“Let’s be honest, I don’t think you were fired… because you’re a Black woman. I think you were fired because your show just got increasingly unpopular. That’s why you got let go. Why play the race card?”
Reid attempted to respond:
“You are so fixated on trying to racialize conversations with me, Piers. I find it actually quite charming.”
But Morgan frequently interrupted, insisting she was the one racializing the conversation — a deflection Reid dismissed as disingenuous:
“It’s so interesting that you, as a white European, think people of color talking about race is the problem. But when people like you bring up ‘Obama was a Black president,’ that’s somehow not racializing anything?”
Internet Reactions and Media Fallout
Morgan later acknowledged on social media that the interview “did not go well,” sarcastically noting that he had been labeled “obsessed with race & identity politics.”
Social media exploded in response, with many rallying behind Reid.
“So typical of an old white guy to dismiss the obvious sexism and racism that culminated in her termination,” wrote one X user.
Another chimed in: “Piers played the racist card first and then blamed Joy Reid for it.”
The Bigger Picture
Reid’s exit from MSNBC after a long tenure raised eyebrows in media circles, particularly as one of the few high-profile Black women in cable news.
Her claim that her departure was influenced by systemic racism and sexism has only gained traction amid public support and now, renewed scrutiny.
While Morgan insists his questions were fair game, critics say the segment was a calculated attempt to undermine Reid’s credibility by leaning into racial provocation, a tactic some say is becoming increasingly common in media confrontations involving people of color.