January 1, Ex-MSNBC Host Reveals She Had to Ask Permission Before Criticizing Hillary Clinton

A former MSNBC political commentator recently revealed that she couldn’t criticize Hillary Clinton leading up to the 2016 presidential election without first getting approval from the network’s president.

Krystal Ball, former co-host of MSNBC’s The Cycle and one-time Democratic congressional candidate, shared the eyebrow-raising information during an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Ball, 41, told host Joe Rogan that she was reprimanded for on-air criticism of Clinton in 2014.

“I did this whole thing that was like, ‘She sold out to Wall Street. People are gonna hate this lady. She’s like the terrible candidate for the moment. Please don’t run,'” Ball said.

“I was allowed to say it,” Ball stated. “I deliver my thing. I did it exactly how I wanted to do it. Afterwards, I get pulled into an office.”

But evidently, her commentary didn’t sit well with Phil Griffin, MSNBC’s then-president.

“Afterwards, I get pulled into an office and you know [I was told], ‘Great monologue, everything’s fine. But next time you do any commentary on Hillary Clinton, it has to get approved by the president of the network,’” Ball said.

Ball told Rogan that while she did speak about Clinton in subsequent broadcasts, the reprimand affected how openly critical she was of the presidential candidate.

“I did further Hillary Clinton commentary, there’s no doubt about it. But I would love to say that didn’t affect me, and I was just there to be a truth teller,” Ball continued. “But, listen, I’m a human being. I’m sure I responded to the incentives in that system of, like, ‘God, I don’t want to get in trouble with the boss.'”

Source: New York Post