On Sunday, veteran NBC anchor Chuck Todd publicly attacked his own network’s management, questioning why NBC News had hired Ronna McDaniel, former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, and declaring live to tell the tale the show: “There’s a reason why so many NBC News journalists don’t they feel comfortable with it.”
Mr. Todd’s comments on “Meet the Press,” the flagship political program he hosted for nine years, were a remarkable escalation in behind-the-scenes tension at NBC News and its cable cousin, MSNBC, since Friday’s announcement that Ms. McDaniel had been hired as an analyst political.
Some journalists at NBC were surprised by the decision to hire Ms. McDaniel, citing her stint at the RNC under President Donald J. Trump, during which she regularly repeated Trump’s criticism of the news media and, in particular, left-wing programs on MSNBC.
Rashida Jones, the president of MSNBC, called several high-profile anchors over the weekend to assure them that they would not be forced to book Ms. McDaniel’s appearances on their shows, according to a person briefed on the talks, according to a person briefed on the talks, who asked not to be identified so sharing details that are intended to remain private.
Ms. McDaniel made her NBC debut on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” whose current host, Kristen Welker, told viewers it was scheduled weeks before Ms. McDaniel joined as a paid contributor. “It will be a news interview and I had no involvement in her hiring,” Ms. Welker said.
After Interview aired, Ms. Welker joined the set for a live panel discussion that included Mr. Todd, who began his remarks by saying, “Let me address the elephant within the room.”
“I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation,” Mr. Todd said. “Because I don’t know what to believe. She’s currently a paid contributor to NBC News, so I have no idea if she responded to you because she didn’t want to mess up her contract.
Mr. Todd said Ms. McDaniel “has credibility issues,” then continued: “There is a reason many journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this situation because many of our professional interactions with the RNC over the last six years have with gas lighting, met with character assassination.”
He added: “So when NBC made the choice to offer her the credibility of NBC News, you will have to ask yourself, ‘What does she bring to NBC News?'”
We reached Ms. McDaniel by phone on Sunday, and she declined to comment.
The path from Washington politics to being an on-air analyst is a well-worn one. Ms. McDaniel is another top Republican to sign a deal with the network; For example, Reince Priebus, who was Trump’s first chief of staff, now works with ABC News.
Television news departments also want to feature diverse ideological voices in their campaigns, not just pundits who lean to the political left. Leaders at NBC News, which unlike MSNBC does not broadcast opinion programming, emphasized that point in their Friday memo announcing Ms. McDaniel’s new role.
“This couldn’t be a more important time to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” wrote Carrie Budoff Brown, who oversees political coverage for NBC News. “She will support our leading coverage by providing an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.” NBC News already employs Republican commentators such as Marc Short, who was former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff.
In an interview with Ms. McDaniel on Sunday, Ms. Welker pressed the former Republican Party leader on whether she believed President Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election.
“He won fair and square,” Ms. McDaniel said. “It’s certified. Done.”
“Ronna, why did you only manage to say it now?” – Mrs. Welker asked.
“I’m going to go back in time a little bit because I think it’s fair to say that there were problems in 2020 and that doesn’t mean he’s not the legitimate president,” Ms. McDaniel responded.
Symone D. Sanders, former chief spokeswoman for Vice President Kamala Harris and now an MSNBC anchor, later praised Ms. Welker’s handling of the interview: writes with X“She would record it often.”
