Claim of Elon Musk MSNBC takeover, Maddow ouster started as satire | Fact check
The claim: Elon Musk took over MSNBC, and Joe Rogan is ‘set to replace Rachel Maddow’
A Nov. 25 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes side-by-side images of podcaster Joe Rogan and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow along with a claim about supposed developments in their careers.
“Joe Rogan Set To Replace Rachel Maddow Following Elon Musk’s MSNBC Takeover − ‘Her Time’s Over Now,’” reads the caption on the post.
It was shared more than 300 times in 11 days. Another version of the claim circulated on Facebook.
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Our rating: False
Musk hasn’t purchased MSNBC, and there is no evidence Rogan will be replacing Maddow. The claim originated on a satirical website.
No announcements from MSNBC, Comcast Corporation about Musk takeover
The claim came days after Comcast Corporation announced plans to create a “spin-off” company composed of several of its existing brands, including MSNBC, USA Network and the review website Rotten Tomatoes. The statement did not say that MSNBC was up for sale.
Nevertheless, Donald Trump, Jr. responded to an X post asserting as much by suggesting that Musk should buy the network. Musk bought X, then known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022.
“How much does it cost?” Musk replied to Trump's post.
Rogan later chimed in on the discussion, saying he “would like Rachael (sic) Maddow's job” if Musk were to own the network. But there's no evidence that any steps have been taken to make the hypothetical scenarios a reality.
There are no news releases from MSNBC nor any credible news reports about an impending sale or changes to Maddow's show.
Fact check: Elon Musk post saying Trump will 'do anything I tell him to do' is fabricated
The claim in the Facebook post first appeared Nov. 24 on Esspots.com, a website that’s part of the SpaceXMania satirical network. It includes a disclaimer that "nothing on this website is real." The article includes a "satire" label at the top. But the Facebook post includes no such satire disclaimer.
It is an example of what could be called "stolen satire," where stories written as satire and presented that way originally are reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.
Paste BN has debunked an array of claims that originated on the SpaceXMania network, including false assertions that Musk announced an “anti-woke” TV show with Tucker Carlson, that Musk called for a ban on pride flags in classrooms and that Musk banned “woke” Robert DeNiro from X.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Snopes also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources
- NBCUniversal News Group, accessed Dec. 5, MSNBC Latest Releases
- Esspots.com, Dec. 2, Joe Rogan To Replace Rachel Maddow as MSNBC’s Prime-Time Host After Elon Musk Takeover
- Elon Musk, Nov. 22, X post
- Joe Rogan, Nov. 22, X post
- Esspots.com, Sept. 24, About Us
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