Heads Explode: Ronna McDaniel Hired by NBC and MSNBC as Political Analyst

That didn’t take long. Former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has a new job. NBC and MSNBC have hired her as a political analyst. It was just about two weeks ago that she resigned from the top spot at the RNC.

The press coverage of this story is going about as you might expect. Ronna frequently criticized the press during her time at the helm of the RNC. All the usual suspects want that fact to be front and center of media reports. 

The memo sent to staff by senior vice president of politics at NBC News, Carrie Budoff Brown, said, “It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team.”

There are complaints that Ronna often claimed there were irregularities in the 2020 election and those statements are conflated with Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged in favor of Biden and the Democrats. 

Oliver Darcy at CNN writes that the news outlet has “seemingly softened” on Trump. What world is he living in? 

NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at the network’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.

Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny.

MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do. Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lies on the air is dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”

Ronna will make her debut on Sunday’s Meet the Press. She will appear on NBC, MSNBC, and NBC News Now programming. 

This is the memo Budoff Brown sent to staff announcing her hiring.

I’m pleased to announce Ronna McDaniel is joining us as an NBC News political analyst. She will contribute her expert insight and analysis on American politics and the 2024 election across all NBC News platforms. 

It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team. As chair of the Republican National Committee, she spent nearly eight years at the highest levels of American politics before stepping down earlier this year. As we gear up for the longest general election season in recent memory, she will support our leading coverage by providing an insider’s perspective on national politics and on the future of the Republican Party — which she led through some of the most turbulent and challenging moments in political history. And as a longtime Michigan resident, she’ll be an important voice from one of this year’s key battlegrounds.

NBC News has a legacy of serving its audience through reporting that reflects and examines the diverse perspectives of American voters. Ronna joins a stable of leading political minds from across the political spectrum who contribute to our coverage — including Marc Short, Ben Rhodes, former Gov. John Kasich, former Sen. Claire McCaskill, David Plouffe, Brendan Buck, and many others. Together, this variety of voices builds on our rigorous reporting and helps bring audiences and voters closer to the thinking and decision making within our halls of power. 

It’s a crucial mission — and one that NBC News performs like no other. Please join me in welcoming Ronna to the network.

Funny how she had to justify Ronna’s hiring by listing others who have been hired. That doesn’t happen when a Democrat is hired. It is just expected. 

Raw Story ran a headline on the story that read: ‘Handmaid of American fascism’: Ronna McDaniel’s new NBC News gig sparks fury.” A member of the Council on Foreign Relations weighed in. She can’t be trusted. 

“NBC is and must be, first and foremost, in the credibility business. She will compromise that every time she appears on air. She cannot be trusted,” wrote David Rothkopf, a journalist, author, and foreign policy, national security and political affairs analyst and commentator. Rothkopf is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also called it “a terrible decision” and McDaniel “a proven serial liar.”

The always lovely Media Matters reacted in a typical fashion.

Media Matters ran this headline: “NBC News hires Ronna McDaniel, who played a key role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to NBC News.”

The sub-head: “Even participating in an attempted coup can’t disrupt the politics-to-pundit pipeline.”

Past tweets are being used against her by the exploding heads on the left. 

MSNBC’s primetime propagandists wasted countless hours pushing the Russia collusion hoax.

Last night, they discussed Durham’s report for barely 10 minutes, in which they insisted the weaponization of government found in the report was no big deal.

— Ronna McDaniel (@RonnaMcDaniel) May 16, 2023

Heh. 

MSNBC staff are asking that her hire be reconsidered. MSNBC columnist Marisa Kabas thinks Ronna lacks a “fundamental understanding of our democracy.” That’s amusing coming from the side that cheers for the Republican nominee to be kept off ballots. 

“As columnists we are held to strict standards of factuality and truth, and are expected to have a fundamental understanding of our democracy,” Kabas continued. “McDaniel has proven time and again she adheres to none of those values, and lacks that very basic understanding.”

Another MSNBC columnist, Andrea Grimes “cosigned” the message by simply writing “f–k this.”

NBC wasn’t the only network that was interested in hiring McDaniel.

Multiple networks were interested in hiring McDaniel as a contributor. NBC won: https://t.co/jHEqbbsKXe

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 22, 2024

That must sting. Progressives and other Democrats are accustomed to having news outlets other than Fox News Channel to themselves. The only Republicans hired are usually those of the Never Trump variety. They can be counted on to agree with Democrats and trash Trump (and other Republicans) with their contributions. 

This delicate snowflake is a professor at CUNY, according to his X bio:

Every goddamned time Ronna McDaniel appears on MSNBC, I want to see us all:
1. Take to social media and #BOOOO @MSNBC.
2. Change the channel or turn off the TV.
For shame, @MSNBC, for shame.
Ronna McDaniel, Former R.N.C. Chair, Joins NBC News https://t.co/s0jDN98ckU

— Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) March 22, 2024

My, my. 

A veteran of Biden and Obama campaigns is stomping his foot. 

Hey @MSNBC, I’m giving you fair warning that I’ll change the channel the second I see Ronna McDaniel appear on any of your broadcasts. And I bet I’m not the only viewer who feels that way. pic.twitter.com/1QGlP7lj6w

— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) March 22, 2024

It’s all so delicious. 

Look at this guy. Remember when he used to make his living off Republicans? 

What a disgusting and cynical decision by @NBCNews and @msnbc for hiring this wretched and lying woman who subverted the Republic by denying an election result in 2020.

NBC News and MSNBC just immolated their journalistic credibility.

I spent 10 years as an analyst at MSNBC.…

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 22, 2024

A CNN host offered his hot take. 

NBC News has hired former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who has demonized the press and refused to acknowledge Biden was fairly elected pic.twitter.com/Z14JfeYYee

— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorBlackwell) March 22, 2024

I don’t see anything on Ronna’s X page about her new job. She will probably enjoy going up against the opposition on air. It’s not unusual that she used the pipeline to punditry in television. ABC hired Reince Priebus after his time at the RNC and in the Trump administration. ABC also hired Donna Brazile after her time at the DNC. 

Good luck to Ronna. I’ll tune in to see how she does on Meet the Press tomorrow.