Rachel Maddow’s show is not an entertainment show. It is a propaganda show. Ratings do not matter to MSNBC, they are not interesting in making money, they are interested in getting a particular message out (and as recent court decision pointed out, truth does not matter either).
Rachel Maddow is part of the left front line bomb throwers.
In that role she is doing well.
You can’t do much propaganda if you are not reaching many people.
It’s like you can go into the forest and holler all the anti Trump hate you want and but it won’t do you a whole lot of good.