Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann on Monday declared he used to date Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and feels his former fling has lost her way because she used to be “far” more progressive than him.
Olbermannn was bothered after NBC reporter Sahil Kapur tweeted a quote in which Sinema praised Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., quote-tweeting it and informing followers that Sinema was a “legit progressive” when they had a relationship. Sinema has enraged many figures on the left for her moderate approach since taking office in 2019, such as her stance about preserving the Senate filibuster.
“When we dated, in 2010-11, Kyrsten was a legit progressive, far to my left. Now she has embraced the Political Industry where there is only process, not policy, and never people,” Olbermann wrote before throwing in an apparent jab at NBC’s Chuck Todd.
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“Perfect solution: she can be the next host of @MeetThePress,” Olbermann wrote.
Olbermann, the far-left firebrand known for his stormy exits from ESPN and other networks, didn’t appreciate Sinema speaking kindly about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Sinema’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s unclear if Olbermann informed viewers of the relationship when Sinema appeared on MSNBC during his time at the network.
When reached by Fox News Digital, Olbermann said he planned to elaborate on his relationship with Sinema on his podcast on Tuesday.
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Sinema appeared on Olbermann’s program on April 20, 2010 and again on Jan. 6, 2011, according to MSNBC transcripts. His tweet indicated they dated in “2010-11,” but Olbermann responded, “You have the chronology wrong,” when asked via text message if it was appropriate to interview her while dating without disclosing the relationship.”
Journalist Sam Mintz pointed out that Olbermann seemed to previously hint at the past relationship. He has called her a “former friend,” claimed he was “the person who first gave her national television exposure,” called her an “old friend” and once said “I don’t think you have to be a body language expert, nor to have dated her a dozen years ago, to recognize that really really unhappy things are going on inside of” Sinema.
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“For a long time I believed – and held to a preference – that there was no need to make the dating part public. The friendship preceded and followed it for a span of 7 years; I thought it was sufficient context. Turns out it wasn’t,” Olbermann responded.For a long time I believed – and held to a preference – that there was no need to make the dating part public. The friendship preceded and followed it for a span of 7 years; I thought it was sufficient context. Turns out it wasn’t.”
Olbermann was a popular anchor for ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in the 1990s and later a Fox Sports baseball analyst before hosting the left-wing opinion show “Countdown” on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011. He then ping-ponged between sports and politics work, regularly burning bridges on his way out the door.
Olbermann was among the most outspoken critics of former President Trump, even moving out of his luxury New York City apartment building because it was owned by him. He was widely criticized when his anti-Trump book featured a cover image of himself draped in the American flag, which is visibly touching the ground – a violation of U.S. flag code.
He re-joined ESPN in 2018 but exited before the 2020 election so he could speak out on the race on YouTube. Olbermann now hosts a far-left podcast and spends much of his time trashing conservatives on social media, but he’s also taken shots at former friends and colleagues. In recent days, Olbermann has attacked CNN CEO Chris Licht for moving Don Lemon to the mornings and on Monday mocked another former girlfriend, MSNBC host Katy Tur, over a typo she made on Twitter.
