Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel inked a deal to become an analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. The former Republican Party leader resigned earlier this month following significant criticism over GOP election outcomes in recent election cycles.
NBC hired the former political operative, preparing her first appearance for March 24. The new agency’s political coverage head Carrie Budoff Brown said that it “couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team.”
Brown described McDaniel as having “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.”
Ronna McDaniel joining MSNBC is just an extension of her years-long work to help Democrats
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) March 22, 2024
The decision for McDaniel to join the left-leaning political network led to significant criticism from the political right and left.
McDaniel accumulated significant criticism from conservatives after Republicans had disappointing electoral outcomes in 2018, 2020 and 2022. Many blamed McDaniel’s approach to crucial Senate and House races, which ultimately left Congress split between the two parties.
As the Republican Party presidential primaries continued, a number of prominent conservatives called for McDaniel to step down, including former candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump echoed some of the concerns, praising McDaniel’s past efforts but implying that it was time for her to pass the torch.
McDaniel announced her resignation last month, stating that the RNC had “historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”
The outgoing chair was replaced by former North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley. Former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump was elected the organization’s co-chair.
McDaniel served seven years in the role after Trump requested she take over the RNC based on her experience as Michigan’s Republican Party chair.
The RNC has moved considerably toward the former president, with Trump’s senior adviser Lynne Patton saying that the organization was “genuinely one united force, and the RNC is officially Trump country.”
Patton added that “as somebody who has called Lara Trump a friend for nearly 16 years, the mainstream media, Democrats and even members of our own party underestimate her to their own detriment.”
