In a scathing rebuke, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has lambasted NBC News for its decision to bring on board former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, labeling her a “proven liar” and a lackey for the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Donald Trump.
DNC Chair Jamie Harrison minced no words in his criticism of NBC, asserting that the news outlet’s employment of McDaniel, known for her staunch defense of Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, undermines the integrity of journalism.
“The free and independent press is fundamental to our democracy and has and continues to face unprecedented attacks by Donald Trump and his lackeys—including Ronna McDaniel—to chip away at its credibility and allow space for MAGA lies and deceit,” Harrison declared in a statement.
The controversy erupted following McDaniel’s appearance on Sunday’s edition of Meet the Press, where she faced intense questioning from host Kristen Welker regarding her defense of Trump’s “Big Lie” surrounding the 2020 presidential election.
Following McDaniel’s segment, Chuck Todd, another program host, attacked NBC for hiring her, stoking the flames started by the DNC’s criticism.
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, the hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” also ripped the network. “We weren’t asked our opinion of the hiring, but if we were, we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons, including, but not limited to, as lawyers might say, Miss McDaniel’s role in Donald Trump’s fake elector scheme and her pressuring election officials to not certify election results while Donald Trump was on the phone,” Scarborough asserted.
Brzezinski added, “To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage. But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier. We hope that NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on Morning Joe in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
Harrison further emphasized the gravity of McDaniel’s role in perpetuating falsehoods about the 2020 election, which culminated in the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Lying about the 2020 election results culminated in Donald Trump encouraging his supporters to stop the peaceful transfer of power,” Harrison asserted. “Allowing one of the key architects of that shameful period in our country the platform to whitewash her role in what happened, and then provide ongoing ‘commentary’ about American politics, does a disservice to the journalists who put themselves in harm’s way to cover the violence and brutality at the Capitol, so the American people knew the facts.”
He stressed that there should be no room for falsehoods in political discourse. He reiterated McDaniel’s lack of credibility, asserting she has no place in honest and objective discussions about the nation’s future.
“There should be no debate about the truth in our political discourse,” Harrison declared. “Ronna McDaniel is a proven liar and has no place in an honest and objective conversation about the future of this country.”
