Chris Matthews leaves 'Hardball' after 20 years

Chris Matthews leaves 'Hardball' after 20 years

Longtime MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews announced on Monday (March 2) that he would be leaving his show 'Hardball' after over two decades as host.

Gloria Tso reports.

One of U.S. primetime TV's mainstay anchors is leaving his post after over twenty years.

Chris Matthews, who has hosted MSNBC's 'Hardball' since 1999, announced on air Monday (March 2) that he was retiring, and that that night's show would be his last.

The hour-long political talk show has been a longtime staple of MSNBC's primetime weeknight lineup.

Matthews said he made his decision after talks with MSNBC.

His retirement comes just a week after remarks that sparked controversy.

Matthews compared Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders' success in the Nevada caucuses last month to the Nazi invasion of Europe during World War II.

Sanders, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, is Jewish.

He issued an on-air apology last week.

In a separate incident last week, a journalist alleged Matthews said inappropriate things to her while she was getting ready to appear on his show in 2016.

During his last show on Monday (March 2), Matthews apologized for making comments about women's appearances in the past, and said that quote, "younger generations" were ready to take the reins from him.