Ronna McDaniel might wanna think twice about showing up at NBC News division’s next casual get-together. Seems like a growing number of NBC News and MSNBC old-timers are openly throwing shade at their higher-ups. They’re not too thrilled about the ex-Republican National Committee chair snagging a spot as an on-air contributor.
During Sunday’s episode of *Meet the Press*, Kristen Welker and Chuck Todd didn’t hold back their thoughts on McDaniel’s new gig. The next day, *Morning Joe*’s very own Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski chimed in. They pretty much rolled out the red carpet, inviting NBC News to have a do-over on their staffing pick.
Then, there’s Rachel Maddow. On her show Monday evening, she dived into a history lesson. She talked about four dudes who tried—and failed—to topple democracy in America. None had the GOP’s muscle backing them up, unlike a certain former president. Maddow found it baffling—and frankly, a bit alarming—that NBC News would add McDaniel, a known democracy doubter, to their payroll. “Inexplicable,” she called it, hoping for a U-turn on that decision.
“It’s not about lying or not lying,” Maddow pointed out. It’s bigger than that. It’s about the very foundation of our government, the undermining of elections, and the relentless assault on democracy. After making it clear that McDaniel won’t be popping up on MSNBC, Maddow had a message for NBC News’ decision-makers. Take a moment, she said. Maybe admit this wasn’t the best move. Owning up to a mistake is a sign of strength, not weakness. And boy, do we need that strength now.
Some 48 hours after word got out about McDaniel’s hiring—still no official peep from NBC News—she made her *Meet the Press* debut. Welker had to put it out there that this interview was on the books way before McDaniel’s new role was public knowledge. “This will be a *news* interview,” Welker emphasized, distancing herself from the hiring decision.
In the interview, McDaniel stuck to her usual script from her RNC chair days. However, she did step back from her previous support of Trump’s promise to pardon Jan. 6 rioters if he gets back in office come November.
Asked about this change of heart, McDaniel played it off. Being RNC chair meant playing for the team, she explained. “Right now, I get to be a little bit more myself.”
On Monday, *Morning Joe*’s Scarborough shared that he and his colleagues were bombarded with calls about McDaniel’s hiring. They weren’t consulted, but had they been, they would’ve voiced strong opposition. He highlighted McDaniel’s involvement in Trump’s attempts to undermine the 2020 election results.
Brzezinski weighed in, too. She argued that while NBC News should indeed seek out conservative voices for balanced election coverage, those voices shouldn’t come from anti-democracy election deniers like McDaniel. And she made it clear: McDaniel won’t be welcomed on *Morning Joe* as a paid contributor.
NBC News has yet to respond to the backlash from its own on-air talent regarding McDaniel’s controversial hiring.
