(CNN) 鈥� Former 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� moderator Chuck Todd delivered a stunning rebuke of NBC News on Sunday, blasting the network for as a paid political analyst.
Todd, who serves as the network鈥檚 chief political analyst, delivered his scathing criticism after McDaniel made her debut on the network during an interview with current 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� moderator Kristen Welker.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,鈥� Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in 鈥済aslighting鈥� and 鈥渃haracter assassination鈥� when dealing with the news media.
As RNC chair, McDaniel was a prominent election denier, working to help disgraced former President Donald Trump subvert the 2020 vote. She also has a long track record for demonizing the news media, including launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.
It is unusual and widely considered unethical for a news organization to put an election denier on its payroll, never mind someone who for years has smeared the credibility of the organization and its journalists.
Welker disclosed at the top of her聽Sunday morning聽program that the interview was scheduled to take place prior to NBC News announcing McDaniel would be a paid contributor. Welker also said聽she was not involved in McDaniel鈥檚 hiring.
鈥淚 think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation,鈥� Todd told Welker during the roundtable discussion that followed the interview.
A spokesperson for NBC News declined to comment on Todd鈥檚 remarks.
During her interview Sunday, on whether聽those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6 should聽be freed from prison.
鈥淲e should not be attacking the Capitol; we should not be having violence,鈥� she said.
Asked why she didn鈥檛 offer such condemnation as RNC chairwoman, McDaniel responded, 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e the RNC chair, you kind of take one for the whole team.聽Right now,聽I get to be a little bit more myself.鈥�
McDaniel also reversed her position on whether President Joe Biden was legitimately elected in 2020.
In an interview with CNN鈥檚 Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel refused to say that Biden鈥檚 victory was fair, echoing false claims from Trump in the wake of his electoral defeat.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he won it fair,鈥� she told Wallace. 鈥淚 don鈥檛. I鈥檓 not going to say that.鈥�
But on Sunday, McDaniel acknowledged that Biden won the 2020 election 鈥渇air and square鈥� even as she voiced concern over 鈥減roblems鈥� with the vote. 鈥淚 believe that both can be true,鈥� she said.
While McDaniel voiced new positions on key issues聽that became right-wing rallying cries in the wake of the 2020 vote, she largely stood by Trump鈥檚 messaging on the current affairs program, effectively using the platform to encourage audience members to vote for Trump in November.
But Todd noted that because McDaniel was a paid network contributor, it was not clear whether she was being genuine.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what to believe,鈥� Todd said, adding that maybe she 鈥渄idn鈥檛 want to mess up her contract.鈥�
In the face of the fierce internal and external backlash it has faced, NBC News has said it is important to have McDaniel鈥檚 voice on air to represent the Republican Party position on issues.
But Todd disagreed with NBC News鈥� decision, adding that McDaniel has 鈥渃redibility issues.鈥�
Others on the Sunday broadcast panel agreed with Todd鈥檚 assessment.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr, a senior opinion writer for the Boston Globe, told Welker that McDaniel is 鈥渙nly here after she got ousted from Trump鈥檚 RNC. Her credibility is completely shot.鈥�
鈥淚 know that she habitually lied, she habitually joined Trump in attacking 鈥� members of the press, including this network, in a way that put journalists at risk, in danger,鈥� Stohr said.
Stephen Hayes, editor of the conservative online outlet The Dispatch, added that McDaniel has 鈥渉uge credibility problems, not because she鈥檚 been a partisan spinner on behalf of the Republican Party, but because she not only presided but directed, drove, the QAnonization of the Republican Party during her tenure.鈥�
The-CNN-Wire
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