Chris Matthews Retirement Announcement Transcript

Chris Matthews: (00:01)
Let me start with my headline tonight. I’m retiring. This is the last Hardball on MSNBC and obviously this isn’t for lack of interest in politics. As you can tell, I’ve loved every minute of my 20 years as host of Hardball. Every morning I read the papers and I’m gung ho to get to work. Not many people have had this privilege. I love working with my producers and the discussions we have over how to report the news, and I love how this connects with you, the good people who watch. I’ve learned who you are, bumping into you on the sidewalk or waiting in an airport and saying hello. You’re like me. I hear it from your kids and grandchildren who say, “My dad loves you or my grandmother loves you, or my husband watched it until the end.”

Chris Matthews: (00:41)
After conversation with MSNBC, I decided tonight will be my last Hardball. So let me tell you why. The younger generations out there are ready to take the reins. We see them in politics and the media and fighting for their causes. They are improving the workplace. We’re talking here about better standards than we grew up with, fair standards. A lot of it has to do with how we talk to each other, compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men including me might have once incorrectly thought were okay, were never okay. Not then and certainly not today, and for making such comments in the past, I’m sorry.

Chris Matthews: (01:14)
I’m very proud of the work I’ve done here. Long before I went on television, I worked for years in politics, was a newspaper columnist, an author. I’m working on another book. I’ll continue to write and talk about politics and cheer on my producers and crew here in Washington and New York and my MSNBC colleagues. They will continue to produce great journalism in the years ahead. For those of you who have gotten in the habit of watching Hardball every night, I hope you’re going to miss me because I’m going to miss you.

Chris Matthews: (01:40)
But remembering Humphrey Bogart and Casa Blanca will always have Hardball, so let’s not say goodbye, but until we meet again.

Chris Hayes: (01:48)
Hey there, I’m Chris Hayes from MSNBC. Thanks for watching MSNBC on YouTube. If you want to keep up to date with the videos we’re putting out, you can click subscribe just below me or click over on this list to see lots of other great videos.