‘Morning Joe’ hosts add to NBC criticism of McDaniel’s hiring
NEW YORK — The internal furor over NBC News’ decision to hire former Republican National Committee head Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor spread Monday, with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts saying on the air that they strongly objected and wouldn’t have her on their show.
“We hope NBC will reconsider its decision,” said Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s four-hour morning show with her husband, former GOP congressman Joe Scarborough.
The comments from the hosts, who said they learned about Ms. McDaniel’s hiring through press reports on Friday, followed former “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd’s public criticism a day earlier. Mr. Todd said many NBC News journalists were uncomfortable with hiring because of Ms. McDaniel’s “gaslighting” and “character assassination” while at the RNC.
The network announced Ms. McDaniel’s hiring on Friday, two weeks after she stepped down as the RNC leader, saying Ms. McDaniel would add to NBC News’ coverage with an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.
Mr. Scarborough said he objected because of Ms. McDaniel’s role in former President Donald Trump’s “fake elector scheme.”
Ms. Brzezinski said “Morning Joe” believes NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in election coverage. “But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,” she said.
NBC has said it will leave it up to individual MSNBC producers and personalities whether Ms. McDaniel will appear on the network, which appeals to liberal viewers. Ms. Brzezinski said she would not be a guest on “Morning Joe” in her capacity as a paid NBC contributor.
The hosts aired an exchange from Ms. McDaniel’s interview the day before on “Meet the Press” with current moderator Kristen Welker, who wondered why the former RNC chairwoman didn’t speak up earlier after saying Sunday she disagreed with Mr. Trump’s contention that people jailed for their part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol should be freed.
“When you’re the RNC chair you kind of take one for the whole team, right?” Ms. McDaniel said. “Now I get to be a little bit more myself, right? This is what I believe.”