There's no need to search for a scapegoat in the wake of MSNBC recording its lowest full-day ratings in roughly 10 years on Tuesday. Rush Limbaugh is happy to take some of the credit.
During his radio show Thursday, Limbaugh gloated over the network's troubles, speculating that his decision to ban MSNBC sound bites from his broadcast might have had something to do with the low numbers.
"They had a much higher audience when I was playing sound bites from that insane asylum every day on this program," Limbaugh said. "So I banned 'em, and the ratings plunge at MSNBC coincides with their official ban here on the EIB Network."
The radio host also pointed to MSNBC's commitment to the "silly diversity thing," as well as its liberal politics, as principal factors in the network's ratings struggles.
"It's embarrassing to have 55,000 people peak, on something that bills itself as a national news network," Limbaugh said. "What did they do? They threw out anything that could be considered mainstream, and they just went pedal-to-the-metal, progressive, left-wing extreme."
"They forgot all about content," he continued. "And the reason they forgot about content is because they were arrogant and assumed everybody is as insane as they are."
Earlier this week, The Wrap reported that MSNBC president Phil Griffin is mulling a large-scale shake-up in hopes of turning the network's slumping numbers around.
Disclosure: Jackson Connor is a former employee of MSNBC.
H/T Mediaite