A cacophony of journalists and Democrats went ballistic on NBC for tapping former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.
McDaniel landed the gig at NBC News shortly after her departure from the RNC. While her position was announced last Friday, an interview she gave on “Meet the Press” on Sunday turbo-changed the backlash.
“The free and independent press is fundamental to our democracy and has and continues to face unprecedented attacks by Donald Trump and his lackeys – including Ronna McDaniel – to chip away at its credibility and allow space for MAGA lies and deceit,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison fumed in a statement.
“There should be no debate about the truth in our political discourse. Ronna McDaniel is a proven liar, and has no place in an honest and objective conversation about the future of this country.”
Hiring key politicos as analysts is nothing new. NBC’s sister network MSNBC gave former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki her own Sunday program.
MSNBC also taps former RNC chair and ardent Trump foe Michael Steele as an analyst. CBS hired Reince Priebus, McDaniel’s predecessor at the RNC and former White House chief of staff, as an analyst after he left the Trump Administration.
NBC’s entertainment wing even aired former President Donald Trump’s flagship “Celebrity Apprentice” for just under a decade before cutting him off during his 2016 campaign.
The news network has seemingly been trying to make inroads with Republicans. Last year, NBC hosted the GOP’s third presidential debate, something that enraged scores of conservatives.
Still, the animosity appears to cut both ways. Even some employees at NBC erupted in open revolt.
“I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation,” NBC’s chief political analyst Chuck Todd told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker during the show Sunday.
“There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this.”
Todd was previously the anchor of the Sunday talk show, and his wife worked as a Democratic strategist.
Underpinning much of the fervor were complaints about McDaniel’s involvement in Trump’s efforts to thwart the 2020 election as well as her past admonitions against the network.
During a contentious interview with Welker Sunday, McDaniel reiterated that “I continue to say there were issues in 2020,” while affirming that “the reality is Joe Biden won, he’s the president.”
That appeared to mark a shift in tone from last year, when she told CNN’s Chris Wallace, “I don’t think [Biden] won it fair.”
McDaniel also defended herself over audio that surfaced that seemingly showed her nudging officials in Wayne County, Michigan, not to certify the 2020 election results.
Ahead of that interview, Welker noted that it had been slated in advance of NBC’s announcement that the network was hiring the former RNC boss.
Some prominent staffers at NBC and MSNBC didn’t keep their misgivings about McDaniel quiet.
“Ronna McDaniel is a ‘necessary and material witness’ who ‘possesses unique knowledge’ regarding the fake electors ‘conspiracy’ to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,” Katie Phang, who hosts an eponymous show on MSNBC and serves as a legal contributor posted, on X.
Other prominent media figures similarly dogpiled on the development.
“I boycotted NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ today and will do so until Insurrectionist lowlife Ronna McDaniel is no longer a so-called ‘analyst’ at NBC,” Harvard Law School professor emeritus Laurence Tribe said.
“I interrupt our commentary (including my own) on James Carville, Ronna McDaniel, and all that, to point out the House has adjourned for two weeks still without having acted on supporting Ukraine. Truly a disgrace,” former Republican pundit Bill Kristol bemoaned.
Meanwhile, prominent conservatives expressed their amusement at the uproar.
“NBC: Our viewers deserve to be warned there is *an actual Republican* in the next segment,” Ben Domenech, editor at large at the Spectator said.
“Chuck Todd is insufferable. NBC News currently employs two former mouthpieces for the Biden Administration; Jen Psaki and Symone Sanders. Did he object to that? But God forbid they hire a Republican in @RonnaMcDaniel?” conservative influencer CJ Pearson wrote.
“Heaven forbid NBC hire a Republican voice,” RNC spokesperson Keith Schipper chided.
MSNBC president Rashida Jones privately informed employees that the left-leaning cable network does not plan to put McDaniel on the air, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
The Post contacted NBC for comment.
