NBC’s decision to hire Ronna McDaniel was publicly criticized by NBC chief political analyst Chuck Todd during a panel discussion following her network debut. Todd expressed discomfort with the situation, noting the unprofessional dealings journalists at NBC News have had with the RNC over the years.

Todd commended host Kristen Welker for handling the interview well but criticized NBC’s decision to put her in a difficult position. He mentioned the backlash from other voices within and outside the company, including MSNBC columnist Marisa Kabas and former host Mehdi Hasan, who highlighted McDaniel’s history of spreading misinformation about the 2020 election.

It was later reported that McDaniel would not be appearing on MSNBC as part of her role at the network.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misspelled Mehdi Hasan’s name.