‘Morning Joe’ Panel on NBC Hiring Ronna McDaniel: We Hope NBC Will Reconsider Its Decision

BRZEZINSKI: “Let’s talk about the hiring of former RNC Chair Rhonda McDaniel.”
SCARBOROUGH: “Well, she was on Sunday’s ‘Meet the Press,’ it was her first appearance since the NBC News hired her as a political analyst. I know you won’t be surprised to know that we’ve been inundated with calls this weekend as have most people connected with this network about NBC’s decision to hire her. We learned about the hiring when we read about it in the press on Friday. 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, Ms. McDaniel’s role in Donald Trump’s fake electoral scheme and her pressuring election officials to not certify election results while Donald Trump was on the phone.”
BRZEZINSKI: “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, and we hope 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. Here’s why.”
[Clip starts]
WELKER: “But to the question though, do you disagree with Trump saying he’s going to free those who’ve been charged and convicted?”
McDANIEL: “I do not think people who committed violent acts on January 6th should be freed.”
WELKER: “So you disagree with that. He’s been saying that for months, Ronna. Why not speak out earlier? Why just speak out about that now?”
McDANIEL: “When you’re the RNC chair you — you kind of take one for the whole team, right? Now I get to be a little bit more myself, right?”
(...)
WELKER: “Well, this is what you said a year ago to Chris Wallace.”
McDANIEL: “Sure.”
WELKER: “I want to play you what you said.”
[Clip starts]
Wallace: “Are you saying, as the chair of the Republican Party, that you still have questions as to whether or not Joe Biden was the duly elected president —“
MCDANIEL: “Joe Biden’s —“
Wallace: “— in 2020?”
McDANIEL: “— the president.”
Wallace: “No, I didn’t ask you whether he’s the president.”
McDANIEL: “No. I don’t think that — I think there were —“
Wallace: “Do you think —“
McDANIEL: “— lots of problems —“
Wallace: “— he won the election?”
McDANIEL: “I think there were lots of problems with 2020.”
Wallace: “Do you think he won the —“
RONNA McDANIEL: “Ultimately, he won the election.”
Wallace: “Pardon?”
McDANIEL: “But ultimately he won the election, but there were lots of problems with the 2020 election, 100 percent.”
Wallace: “And that’s fair.”
McDANIEL: “But I don’t think he won it fair. I don’t. I’m not going to say that.”
[Clip ends]
Kristen Welker: So you didn’t say, ‘He won it fair,’ at that point. Can you say, as you sit here today, did Joe Biden win the election fair and square?”
McDANIEL: “He won. He’s the legitimate —“
WELKER: Did he win —“
McDANIEL: — president —“
Kristen Welker: — fair and square?”
McDANIEL: “Fair and square he won. It’s certified. It’s done. But I do think, Kristen —“
WELKER: “Ronna, why has it taken you until now —“
McDANIEL: “— let me just say something.”
WELKER: “— to say that?”
McDANIEL: “Because —“
WELKER: “Why has it taken you until now to be able to say that?”
McDANIEL: “I’m going to push back a little, because I do think it’s fair to say there were problems in 2020. And to say that does not mean he’s not the legitimate president.”
[Clip ends]