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Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews pointed to the Democrats' "snobbery and attitude" as a reason why working people voted for President Donald Trump during an interview Wednesday.
MSNBC host Katy Tur asked Matthews about how the Democratic Party should bridge the divide between the working class and the college-educated voters.
"I don’t know the whole answer. [Pennsylvania Gov.] Josh Shapiro said, 'All right, we’re going to stop this a little bit. We’re going to get rid of the law that you have to be some college graduate to get a job in the state government.' Pennsylvania doesn’t have that law anymore," Matthews said.
"It isn’t just for college grads. And I think there’s a lot to that. The town vs. gown has gotten to be political. The people that didn’t get to college are voting for Trump. Why? Because the snobbery and attitude," he said.
Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an executive order in 2023 after taking office to establish that 92% of state government jobs would no longer require a college degree, according to CBS News.
Matthews has been critical of the Democratic Party amid President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, calling on lawmakers to focus on the economy.
While discussing the Democratic Party's low popularity on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in August, Matthews pointed in part to the Biden administration's poor handling of illegal immigration as a reason, saying, "The polling will tell you, the open border — what seemed like an open border for four years.
"Today, the border has been closed since January and not a peep out of any Hispanic leader. Nobody has complained because they know that surge at the border was killing the Democrats," he said.
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Identifying another possible factor in Democrats' sinking approval, Matthews back in August cited how transgender policies impacted the 2024 presidential election.
"On the issue of trans people playing women’s sports, that ad ran in every sports event, starting with the World Series. It never stopped. It showed up around the third quarter, and everybody's like, ‘What’s that? That’s insane.’"
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The ex-MSNBC host said issues such as transgender participation in sports were 80/20 issues before calling for a renewed focus on the economy.
Then-New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill speaks during an election night party in East Brunswick, N.J., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. She ultimately won her race and was elected governor. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)
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Democrats won elections in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia that largely focused on economic anxiety and affordability issues.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor's race, while former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican challenger Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia gubernatorial race. In the Empire State, democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani claimed victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Matthews previously hosted "Hardball" on MSNBC and resigned from the network in 2020 after facing backlash over multiple controversies.
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
