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Former Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd had scathing remarks for NBC News during a surprise appearance on Sunday's episode of his former program, criticizing the network's decision to hire former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel.
Todd joined current host Kristen Welker to address concerns moments after McDaniel was interviewed by Welker in what Walker said was a previously scheduled news interview.
Todd told Welker he thinks "our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation "because I don't know what to believe" before pointing to McDaniel's "credibility issues" as one of the more prominent mouthpieces for the Republican Party.
You can hear what Todd said in the video below.
Todd said:
“She is now a paid contributor by NBC News, so I have no idea whether any answer she gave to you was because she didn’t want to mess up her contract."
"There’s a reason why there are a lot of journalists at NBC News uncomfortable with this, because many of our professional dealings with the RNC over the last six years have been met with gaslighting, have been met with character assassination.”
“So when NBC made the decision to give her NBC News’ credibility, you got to ask yourself, ‘What does she bring NBC News?’”
Todd then praised Welker—who'd interviewed McDaniel earlier—saying she'd handled an "impossible situation" gracefully:
“You got put into an impossible situation, booking this interview, and then all of a sudden the rug was pulled out from under you, and you find out she's being paid to show up?"
"It’s unfortunate for this program, but I am glad you did the best that you could.”
Many agreed with Todd's assessment.
During McDaniel's inaugural appearance on Meet the Press, Welker posed probing questions about her personal views on various issues and her past tenure as RNC chairwoman.
The interview marked McDaniel's first appearance on the network since her recent announcement as an on-air contributor ahead of the 2024 election, sparking controversy among some NBC personnel due to her previous allegiance to former President Donald Trump and comments regarding the 2020 election's validity.
Welker, in an on-air disclosure, clarified that the interview was scheduled "weeks before it was announced that McDaniel would become a paid NBC News contributor" and that she personally "was not involved in her hiring.”
McDaniel's appearance on the network came amidst a storm of criticism both externally and internally following NBC's announcement of her hiring as a contributor for NBC News and its affiliated platforms. MSNBC's president reportedly informed staff that there were no intentions to feature McDaniel on the network, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
This decision came less than a year after McDaniel had criticized "MSNBC's primetime propagandists" for their perceived lack of coverage on special counsel John Durham's report, drawing attention to internal disagreements within the network.