According to a report by The New York Times on Friday, NBC News has decided to enlist the services of Ronna McDaniel, former Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), as a contributor for its cable network. Her first appearance is scheduled for Meet the Press on Sunday, March 24. Additionally, it is expected that she will also make appearances on the far-left MSNBC:
“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, who oversees NBC News political coverage, wrote in a memo, adding that Ms. McDaniel would provide “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.” Ms. McDaniel will be especially involved in the coverage of the 2024 campaign, including election nights.”
In anticipation of Super Tuesday, the ex-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) declared in February her decision to resign from her position in March. This move was made to grant the opportunity for the GOP’s presidential candidate to select the subsequent chairperson. At that time, the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, was steadily progressing towards securing the nomination, while only one contender, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, remained for the GOP nomination.
“I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing,” McDaniel said in February. “The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”
McDaniel had previously urged Haley to withdraw from the race on Fox News Channel before the New Hampshire primary. This request came after Trump’s other main competitors, such as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, ended their campaigns and endorsed the 45th president following the Iowa Caucuses.
Shortly after, Haley criticized the RNC on NBC News’s Meet the Press, stating that they were not impartial in the nomination race. Haley eventually exited the race after a disappointing performance on Super Tuesday, leading to the RNC congratulating Trump on his presumptive nomination on March 6.
Two days later, Michael Whatley took over as RNC chair from McDaniel, while Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, was chosen as co-chair. McDaniel served four terms as chair, starting in 2017 when the former president personally selected her to lead the organization due to her instrumental role in securing Michigan during the 2016 election while she was the state’s GOP chair.