Veteran NBC anchor Chuck Todd publicly criticized the leadership of his own network on Sunday, questioning the decision to hire Ronna McDaniel, the former chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Todd declared live on air, “There’s a reason why there are a lot of journalists at NBC News uncomfortable with this.”
Todd’s comments on “Meet the Press” were seen as an escalation of tensions within NBC News and MSNBC since McDaniel was announced as a political analyst.
Some NBC journalists were surprised by the hiring of McDaniel due to her past alignment with President Trump and criticism of the news media.
NBC president Rashida Jones reassured prominent anchors that they would not be required to feature McDaniel on their shows.
McDaniel made her NBC debut on “Meet the Press” in an appearance scheduled before she joined as a contributor. Host Kristen Welker clarified this to viewers.
Following the interview, Todd joined a live discussion panel and expressed concerns about McDaniel’s credibility and the decision to hire her.
Todd questioned NBC’s choice to give McDaniel credibility and highlighted discomfort among NBC journalists.
McDaniel declined to comment when reached by telephone on Sunday.
The transition from Washington politics to on-air analyst roles is common, with McDaniel being the latest Republican figure to join a network.
NBC News aims to provide a variety of ideological voices in its campaign coverage, as seen in the memo announcing McDaniel’s role.
During her interview, McDaniel confirmed that President Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, despite previous hesitations.
Following the interview, anchor Symone D. Sanders praised Welker’s handling of the conversation.
