Former Obama Press Secretary Josh Earnest Joins NBC and MSNBC

NBC News and MSNBC has a new team member: former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. The announcement was first made on NBC’s “Today” show that Earnest will serve the network as a political analyst, as reported by The Hill. Earnest served as press secretary to President Obama from 2014-2017.

In a statement, MSNBC President Phil Griffith and NBC News President Noah Oppenheim said:

“A native of Kansas City, Josh graduated from Rice University with a degree in political science and policy studies. With his wealth of experience and insight, Josh will be a great addition to our roster of contributors and will be an asset for our two networks as we continue to cover the White House, Congress, and politics beyond the Beltway.”

The Hill also noted that cable news has been a common landing spot for former White House press secretaries. Two of George W. Bush’s press secretaries, Ari Fleischer and Tony Snow, joined CNN after they left the White House, and another, Dana Perino, joined Fox News’s “The Five” at the completion of her term.

Former Obama spokesmen also hit the cable airwaves with Robert Gibbs going to CNN and Jay Carney heading to MSNBC.