NBC News drops Ronna McDaniel after on-air revolt from channel’s stars

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel has been dropped from her new role as a commentator with NBC News, just days after her hiring was announced, in response to an on-air backlash from several of the network’s star anchors.

Cesar Conde, NBCUniversal News Group chairman, informed staff they would be severing ties with Ms McDaniel in a memo on Tuesday that read: “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.

“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down. While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.

“No organisation, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned. Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.”

Mr Conde added: “Our initial decision was made because of our deep commitment to presenting our audiences with a widely diverse set of viewpoints and experiences, particularly during these consequential times.

“We continue to be committed to the principle that we must have diverse viewpoints on our programs, and to that end, we will redouble our efforts to seek voices that represent different parts of the political spectrum.”

Ms McDaniel was recently ousted from her role with the RNC after Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, became dissatisfied with the committee’s fundraising efforts in the wake of the 2022 midterm elections.

He called for her removal after winning the South Carolina primary in February and quickly moved to install Michael Whatley and his own daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chairs in