NBC News dropped former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor on Tuesday after she made just one appearance, in the wake of network stars Rachel Maddow, Chuck Todd, and "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and wife Mika Brzezinski speaking out against her on the air.
"There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group," NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff, CNN reported. "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,” Conde continued. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it."
A source told CNN that McDaniel spent Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC. Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered deal between McDaniel and NBC, also parted ways with the former RNC chair.
Earlier Tuesday, Puck News founding partner and senior correspondent Dylan Byers posted an update on X stating that the network planned to drop her "following on-air revolt from NBC/MSNBC talent."
"Execs are deliberating over details; announcement pending. Meanwhile, McDaniel is seeking legal representation," Byers reported.
McDaniels' ouster comes after strong protests from stars at NBC and MSNBC, considering her past criticisms of the networks and her close ties with former President Donald Trump, including his efforts to challenge his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden.
Maddow, MSNBC's highest-rated star, spoke out on her MSNBC show Monday night, calling McDaniel's hiring "inexplicable," reports The New York Post.
She pointed out that McDaniel, who was replaced in her post at the RNC by Michael Whatley earlier this month, was someone who attacked the network and journalists but also, "is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government."
"You wouldn't hire a made man like a mobster to work at a DA's office, right?" Maddow said. "You wouldn't hire a pick-pocket to work as a TSA screener."
Earlier Monday, Scarborough and Brzezinski pledged that McDaniel would not be invited to appear on their program, and referred to her as "an anti-democracy election denier."
Meanwhile, executives inside the network are arguing about how NBC News editorial chief Rebecca Blumenstein, backed by Carrie Budoff Brown, who oversees political coverage, handled the affair, reports The Wall Street Journal. Conde also was involved.
The network's executives reportedly said McDaniel was hired to add people to network programs who could provide analysis about Trump and his supporters.
Budoff Brown, while announcing the hire, said "It couldn't be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna's on the team" as she would add "an insider's perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.”
She made only one appearance on the network, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" for an appearance that was booked before she was officially hired.
Anchor Kristen Welker said she had not been aware McDaniel was hired, and later, Todd, who had been the previous anchor for years, came on to criticize the network's decision.