NBC News is reportedly preparing to cut ties with former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel less than a week after hiring her as a paid contributor. The sudden reversal comes after a wave of fierce pushback from the network’s lineup of liberal pundits and primetime headliners, with many of them publicly attacking NBC News on their shows.
McDaniel’s move to NBC News, which was first reported by the New York Times earlier this month, came shortly after her resignation from Republican Party leadership, ending her seven-year stint as RNC Chairwoman. The Times’ report described McDaniel as “a reliably conservative voice” to balance out the liberal talent on MSNBC, “NBC’s left-leaning cable cousin.”
The decision to bring McDaniel on board was finalized by NBC News editorial chief Rebecca Blumenstein on Friday, with support from Carrie Budoff Brown, who heads political coverage for NBC, and MSNBC head Rashida Jones.
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However, in the span of a single weekend, the network has reportedly received so much pushback from its roster of talking heads that executives are already reconsidering their latest hire.
“NBC NEWS plans to drop ex RNC-chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor following on-air revolt from NBC/MSNBC talent,” Puck News reporter Dylan Byers suggested on Tuesday. “Execs are deliberating over details; announcement pending. Meanwhile, McDaniel is seeking legal representation.”
This comes after just one appearance by McDaniel on an NBC show, which consisted of her being grilled by “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker in a pre-taped interview on Sunday. After Welker clarified that she had not been involved in McDaniel’s hiring, she pressed the former RNC chairwoman on her involvement with former President Donald Trump’s “election denial” efforts. McDaniel, whose relationship with Trump has soured in recent months, distanced herself from the new RNC leadership. She also emphasized her disagreements with the former president, particularly on the subject of pardoning defendants arrested in connection with January 6th.
WATCH: Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says she doesn’t support freeing those charged and convicted with crimes related to January 6th — something Donald Trump has promised to do if re-elected.@kwelkernbc: “Why not speak out earlier?”@RonnaMcDaniel: “When you’re the RNC… pic.twitter.com/9wqOoKnUdR
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 24, 2024
Related: RNC Will Pay Legal Bills for Donald Trump Despite Past Denials
Immediately after the interview aired, former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd chastised network executives for platforming McDaniel after years of “gaslighting” and “character assassination” of MSNBC personnel by the RNC. Todd called on NBC News to apologize for the hiring choice.
The following day, “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski voice their own objections to the decision, saying “we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons” if asked.
Other critics included:
- Deadline host Nicolle Wallace: “NBC News, either wittingly or unwittingly, is teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections, which Ronna McDaniel did on yesterday’s ‘Meet the Press’… and they can do that as one of us, as badge-carrying employees of NBC News, as paid contributors to our sacred airwaves.”
- Former White House Press Secretary-turned-MSNBC contributor Jen Psaki: “To quote Liz Cheney, Ronna facilitated Trump’s corrupt fake elector and his effort to pressure Michigan officials not to certify the legitimate election outcome. She spread his lies and called January 6th ‘legitimate political discourse.’ Look, this isn’t about Republicans versus Democrats. This isn’t about red versus blue. This is about truth versus lies. Service to the country versus service to one man committed to toppling our democratic system.”
- Last Word host Lawrence O’Donnell: “MSNBC will not use Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst. But I do have a few questions for her whenever she might want to come on this program. And I’ll make it easy for her. I’ll tell her the questions ahead of time. My first question would be, why did you change your name for Donald Trump? Before Trump ran for president, her name was Ronna Romney McDaniel. How does that feel, to change her name to curry favor with the madman because he doesn’t like your uncle? How did you explain that to your kids? What lesson did your kids learn from that?”
- Rachel Maddow: “If you care what I think about this, I will tell you, the fact that Ms. McDaniel is on the payroll at NBC News, to me, that is inexplicable. I mean, you wouldn’t hire, like, a wise guy. You wouldn’t hire a made man, like a mobster, to work at a DA’s office, right?”
Prior to the decision to drop McDaniel from the network altogether, Jones had reportedly told MSNBC personnel that none of them would be required to work with McDaniel on-air.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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