Cable television news is about to become more inclusive. MSNBC is expanding its weekend programming with a significant shakeup, introducing a revamped version of The Weekend, which is set to launch this spring. The show will be hosted by longtime MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart, newly named MSNBC senior Washington correspondent Eugene Daniels, and freshly hired MSNBC Washington correspondent Jackie Alemany.
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The change marks a historic moment for representation in media, as Capehart and Daniels will become the first two out gay Black men to cohost a news program together on a major network. Airing from 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturdays and Sundays, The Weekend will be based in Washington, D.C., and feature a panel-driven format. The expansion reflects MSNBC’s investment in political coverage, as it builds out an independent Washington bureau separate from NBC News.
From left: Eugene Daniels, Jackie Alemany, and Jonathan CapehartCourtesy MSNBC
Capehart, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Washington Post associate editor, currently hosts The Saturday/Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart on weekend evenings.
Daniels, who currently works as a White House correspondent and Playbook coauthor for Politico, will transition into his new role at MSNBC while continuing to serve as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. His WHCA duties will remain separate from his MSNBC responsibilities. Alemany is currently a White House reporter for The Washington Post, where she has been for six years.
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Capehart, Daniels, and Alemany made their first appearance as cohosts on Morning Joe on Wednesday where they discussed the upcoming show and what viewers can expect. “We have so much to talk about, and thankfully, we’re going to have six hours — Saturday and Sunday — to really keep the conversation going,” Capehart said.
Watch Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels, and Jackie Alemany join Morning Joe for the first time as cohosts below.
The new The Weekend will replace the current version of the show, which has been hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez. That trio will move to MSNBC’s prime-time lineup, taking over the 7 p.m. Eastern slot. Ayman Mohyeldin will also helm an evening edition of The Weekend alongside two other to-be-named hosts, further expanding MSNBC’s weekend coverage.
News of the new roles has drawn praise from media advocacy organizations, including GLAAD. A spokesperson for the organization, Darian Aaron, highlighted the significance of Capehart and Daniels joining forces.
“In a time when critical information reported through the cultural lens of Black journalists is consistently absent in newsrooms across the country and high-profile anchor positions on cable news, the addition of Jonathan Capehart and Eugene Daniels, two out Black journalists as co-anchors of MSNBC’s The Weekend is progress worth celebrating and an example for all organizations, media or otherwise,” Aaron said in a statement to The Advocate.
“Black and queer people are in all occupations and all areas of the country. Capehart and Daniels will make history, but they will also bear the responsibility of speaking truth to power in the face of a hostile administration, ensuring more voices are brought to the table and must open doors to more journalists from all backgrounds who are as talented but lack access to the same opportunities. The world and our community will be watching.”
The announcement comes at a pivotal time for MSNBC. While the network has been praised for diversifying its weekend lineup — with anchors including Menendez, Steele, Sanders Townsend, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Ali Velshi — it has also faced criticism for recent programming changes.
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Last week, MSNBC canceled The ReidOut with Joy Reid and Alex Wagner Tonight, removing its only nonwhite weekday primetime hosts. Wagner will remain with MSNBC as a senior political analyst. The move sparked backlash, including from MSNBC’s most prominent anchor, Rachel Maddow, who called the decision “indefensible.” According to Maddow, who recently returned to hosting her nightly show for the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term, dozens of experienced producers have been let go or forced to reapply for their jobs.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler, who recently took over leadership, is overseeing an expansion of the network’s Washington bureau while navigating these internal tensions. Kutler has emphasized a commitment to strengthening MSNBC’s political reporting and building out a team of domestic and international correspondents. Daniels and Alemany are the first journalists hired under this new direction.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
From left: Eugene Daniels, Jackie Alemany, and Jonathan CapehartCourtesy MSNBC
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