NBC drops former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel as paid contributor amid internal backlash
An apparent feud between the network's top executives and their new hire escalated on Sunday, when Todd, who left his role as host of Meet the Press in September, ripped the network on the air.
Chuck Todd, the outgoing NBC News political director and MSNBC analyst, slammed his bosses on air Sunday for putting his colleague, Kristen Welker, "in an impossible situation" during her interview with McDaniel, The Hill reports.
On Monday, NBC News reportedly planned to drop McDaniel as a contributor, less than a week after announcing her hiring, Puck News reports.
McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair, was announced as an NBC News contributor on Friday.
The network reportedly plans to drop her from the role within the next week, Puck News reports.
McDaniel reportedly sought legal representation after the network's decision.
MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Nicolle Wallace also criticized the network's decision to hire McDaniel, describing it as "inexplicable" and problematic, respectively.
On Monday, Todd again addressed the controversy on NBC's Morning Joe, saying: "To have credibility, you have to have consistency. There's nothing consistent about the way NBC News handles these kinds of situations."
He added: "I'll leave it to others to sort out whether it was a mistake. But when it's a mistake, acknowledge it and move on. And if it wasn't a mistake, explain why not."
Several MSNBC hosts reportedly criticized the hiring of McDaniel, including Ari Melber, who tweeted that it was a "bad call," before deleting the post, Insider reports.
MSNBC hosts reportedly took issue with McDaniel's stances on several issues, including election integrity and LGBTQ+ rights.
Some also criticized NBC News for failing to consult with their colleagues before making the hiring decision.