Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty
NBC News is facing a public revolt by its on-air personalities including Rachel Maddow over the hiring of former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.
The hiring of Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chairwoman by NBC News and Comcast last week has caused a visible backlash, becoming more apparent as several of the on-air personalities made it a point to decry her hiring, with its star anchor Rachel Maddow expressing her displeasure on her show Monday night (March 25).
Maddow: "I want to associate myself with all my colleagues both at MSNBC and at NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company putting on the payroll someone who hasn't just attacked us as journalists but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get… pic.twitter.com/C32hI3lvv1
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) March 26, 2024
“I want to associate myself with all my colleagues, both at MSNBC and NBC News, who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she during the 29-minute opening monologue. “Someone who still is trying to convince Americans that this election stuff, it doesn’t really work.” Maddow would implore her bosses to reconsider. “It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” she said, adding: “It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong now.”
McDaniel resigned as the head of the RNC at the behest of the presumptive nominee and former President Donald Trump. McDaniel has been under fire for parroting his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. When appearing on Meet The Press with host Kristin Welker on Sunday (March 24), McDaniel seemed to walk that back. “Fair and square, he won,” Ms. McDaniel replied when asked about the election by Welker, but adding, “I do think it’s fair to say there were problems in 2020.” That led to Chuck Todd denouncing the decision in a post-segment panel. Reportedly, McDaniel is set to earn $300,000 in the deal. Numerous employees at NBC News and MSNBC have also reportedly expressed their outrage at McDaniel’s hiring.
Quite a moment on Meet the Press this morning. pic.twitter.com/1RKvAq7mj2
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) March 24, 2024
Maddow would also be joined by Lawrence O’Donnell of The Last Word, capping off an entire day of rebuke that began with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, stating that McDaniel would not be on their program as a “paid contributor.” That sentiment was echoed by Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, and Nicole Wallace who said the hiring “wittingly or unwittingly” was a signal to election deniers of the approval of McDaniel’s past actions. There has been no public comment from MSNBC boss Rashida Jones, NBC News Chairman Cesar Conde, or McDaniel.