MSNBC anchors, including Rachel Maddow and Joe Scarborough, have openly opposed NBC's decision to hire Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee Chairwoman, describing it as an "on-air mutiny."
They voiced concerns about McDaniel's involvement in supporting former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Other MSNBC figures, such as Jen Psaki, Joy Reid, and Mika Brzezinski, also criticized the move, with Chuck Todd of NBC joining in, calling the decision to hire McDaniel "inexplicable."
Maddow stressed that their opposition to McDaniel was not based on political grounds but on concerns about her stance on democracy and her attacks on journalists.
The collective criticism from the anchors represented a rare public rebuke of their employer's decision.
MSNBC President Rashida Jones assured staff that McDaniel would not be featured on the network, countering efforts by other parts of the company to suggest otherwise.
Reid described McDaniel as a "major promoter of the big lie," referring to the false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. McDaniel is reportedly earning approximately $300,000 annually in her new position.
McDaniel's association with Trump, including her involvement in the events leading up to the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, has come under scrutiny.
Her recent acknowledgment that Joe Biden won the 2020 election "fair and square" contrasts with her previous statements suggesting otherwise.
This situation highlights tensions within NBC regarding McDaniel's hiring, with prominent anchors publicly opposing the decision.