NBC News faced criticism for hiring Ronna McDaniel, former chair of the Republican National Committee, as a political commentator. Colleagues like Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow publicly condemned the decision, citing concerns about election denialism due to McDaniel’s promotion of false theories post-2020 election.

While mainstream news outlets focused on internal tensions at NBC, conservative commentators saw it as a sign of liberal bias within the network.

Fox News

Fox News panelists expressed disbelief at the backlash, with Bill Hemmer and Kayleigh McEnany criticizing Chuck Todd’s stance. Jeanine Pirro pointed out the network’s past hires of former RNC chair Michael Steele without objection.

Bill O’Reilly

Former Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly defended McDaniel, noting her acknowledgment of Biden’s win and criticizing the unfair backlash for her past actions.

O’Reilly criticized NBC for not accepting McDaniel’s change in stance and insinuated that she was being unfairly targeted.

Newsmax, Breitbart and National Review

Newsmax covered MSNBC’s reaction to McDaniel’s hire, Breitbart labeled Maddow’s response as a “tirade,” and National Review highlighted MSNBC’s employment of former Biden administration members without similar outrage.