To say Ronna McDaniel has received a frosty reception as NBC’s new contributor would be an understatement.
The former RNC chairman had a door slammed in his face, nailed to a board to seal it tightly, and then plastered with cement.
This is the kind of staff revolt that once unfolded in whispers and leaks, but now takes the form of on-air accusations.
Of course, McDaniel is a close ally of Donald Trump, which makes her radioactive for MSNBC, a liberal nation-state.
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This became clear when the Wall Street Journal reported that MSNBC president Rashida Jones told staff that McDaniel would not appear on the cable network. That was totally unacceptable.
Just yesterday, Joe Scarborough said this on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“We were not asked for an opinion on this hiring, but if we were, there would be a number of questions, including Ms. McDaniel’s role in Donald Trump’s sham election scheme and her wrongdoing, as her lawyers might say. I would have strongly opposed it for this reason. put pressure on election officials Don’t certify the election results while Donald Trump is on the phone. ”
“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek the voices of conservative Republicans to balance our election coverage,” said his wife and co-host Mika Brzezinski. But it should be a conservative Republican, not someone who took advantage of her position.” She said, “She has been empowered to be an anti-democratic election denier, and I hope NBC reconsiders that decision. Needless to say, in her capacity as a paid contributor, she is empowered to be an anti-democratic election denier. ‘I will not make a guest appearance on ‘
The topic was Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” where McDaniel was booked before being hired as a contributor. NBC is reportedly paying her about $300,000.
McDaniel, who was ultimately forced out of the RNC due to President Trump’s complaints, said there were problems with the 2020 election but did not deny that Joe Biden was legitimately elected. . In the past, she has called MSNBC journalists “propaganda in their prime.”
Chuck Todd, the show’s former host and current chief political analyst, appeared as a guest and told his successor, Kristen Welker, “Our boss owes you an apology for putting you in this situation.” There is…” he said.
“Look, there’s a reason why a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this, because a lot of their professional dealings with the RNC over six years have been met with gaslighting and character assassination. … She has credibility issues” that still have to be addressed. ”
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Now, you may have a legitimate question: Why can’t NBC executives tell their cable networks to stop airing their dirty laundry in public?
MSNBC has always enjoyed ample autonomy and, like most news organizations, operates toward its audience. And left-wing viewers generally don’t want to hear pro-Trump voices.
It’s true that MSNBC employs a number of Republicans and former Republicans, including Scarborough, Nicole Wallace, and Michael Steele. But with perhaps a few exceptions, they are anti-Trump Republicans. NBC may have blindsided cable stations by hiring McDaniel, but the audience is on his MSNBC side.
The flip side of this argument is: What exactly is MSNBC accomplishing by shielding its viewers from a dissenting opinion or two? The channel’s nearly universal position is that Trump is a danger to democracy and must be stopped. Given that, wouldn’t someone like McDaniel be all but drowned out?
Ronna McDaniel and Chuck Todd. (Getty Images)
Indeed, no one raised an eyebrow when former Biden aides like Jen Psaki and Simone Sanders Townsend appeared on MSNBC and defended a president who primarily worked for them. No one will hide. (I’m not comparing their record to McDaniel’s record in 2020, but the revolving door is established across all networks, including CNN and FOX)
MSNBC’s approach to the former president was evident on the night of the Iowa caucuses, when ultra-liberal host Rachel Maddow refused to broadcast President Trump’s victory speech, saying, “There will be a cost to news organizations that knowingly broadcast falsehoods.” “There is,” he declared. ”
A week later, when Trump won New Hampshire, it was clear that NBC had rejected Maddow after intense criticism. She broadcast President Trump’s victory speech, saying, “This is a decision we think is a free and raw decision,” but then cut (as did CNN) to fact-check Trump. started.
Two important legal decisions regarding Mr. Trump yesterday underscore that point.
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On a deadline day when the former president was facing asset seizure by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a federal appeals court unexpectedly reduced his massive bond demand of nearly $500 million to $175 million. The former president was given 10 days. Please pay it.
And the judge set a trial date for April 15 on hush money charges filed by Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg, which President Trump had sought to delay or deny.
Former President Donald Trump waves as he departs the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, New York, Monday, March 25, 2024. Earlier today, the New York Court of Appeals reduced Trump’s bail by more than half in his case. For allegedly falsifying his business records, he gave him 10 days to pay $175 million. (Adam Gray, Fox News Digital)
MSNBC, like other networks, was stationed at the Manhattan hearings attended by President Trump, providing virtually nonstop coverage. Anything President Trump says will be news.
But when President Trump began talking for about two minutes about election interference, Andrea Mitchell (or whoever made the decision) quickly cut him off, saying the host said his claims of election interference were not true. . Couldn’t that rebuttal have waited a few minutes?
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Later, when President Trump held a press conference at 40 Wall Street (one of Trump’s iconic properties that James would have been able to seize but for the appeals court’s ruling), MSNBC aired it. However, it was quickly canceled again and returned to the legal commentators.
What I always maintain is that if you’re going to cover Trump 24 hours a day, you can let him have his opinion and continue to fool him for the next 23 and a half hours. In this environment, it’s no wonder MSNBC refuses to air Ronna McDaniel, jeopardizing her newly struck contract.
