MSNBC Tops Today’s News - September 2, 2025

NEW YORK - MSNBC delivered a slate of major political and legal developments on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, with coverage ranging from high-profile announcements in Washington to endorsements shaping local elections.

In Washington, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) shocked colleagues by announcing she will not seek re-election in 2026, citing a desire to focus on private-sector opportunities and family commitments. Senior White House Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard provided live analysis on Chris Jansing Reports, noting Ernst’s departure leaves a competitive open seat in the Senate next year.

On Capitol Hill, coverage also turned to the looming government shutdown fight and the fallout over the Jeffrey Epstein files as Congress returned from recess. Melanie Zanona reported that lawmakers face an October 1 deadline to fund federal agencies, while tensions mount over demands for the full, unredacted release of witness testimony and documents.

In New York City politics, Morning Joe featured former Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsing Councilman Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic mayoral primary. De Blasio praised Mamdani’s progressive platform and grassroots organizing, calling it “the right approach” to address the city’s inequalities.

Turning to national honors, the network’s Top Stories segment detailed President Trump’s announcement that Rudy Giuliani will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, in recognition of his service as New York City mayor during and after 9/11. The announcement sparked debate over the criteria for the award and Giuliani’s controversial tenure.

Finally, Morning Joe also devoted a panel discussion to President Trump’s demand that pharmaceutical companies justify the effectiveness of their Covid-19 treatments, amid ongoing confusion over vaccine and therapeutic data. Experts on the panel debated whether the White House seeks transparency or political leverage in questioning established public-health successes.

MSNBC’s live coverage underscored a day of significant political shifts, legal battles, and policy debates at both the federal and local levels.