The Republican National Committee is reportedly considering restricting NBC’s access to this summer’s convention after its decision to drop former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor.
The network backtracked on its hiring of McDaniel following severe backlash amongst staffers.
“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” NBCUniversal Group Chairman Cesar Conde said in an email to staff members, the outlet wrote.
“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,” Conde wrote.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Ronna McDaniel is out at NBC News.
Cesar Conde, Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, emailed the staff writing “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.” pic.twitter.com/ymy9lDprUL
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 26, 2024
“We are taking a hard look at what this means for NBC’s participation at the convention,” said Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for the RNC and the Trump campaign, according to POLITICO.
“Our priority is making sure this is a world class event that allows President Trump to feature his message and vision in a fair way,” she added.
“The Republican National Committee (RNC) is mulling over the possibility of restricting NBC’s access to the upcoming Republican National Convention following a recent controversy involving former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. McDaniel, who was hired by NBC as a political analyst, faced swift backlash from both far-left employees and anchors within the network. Consequently, NBC swiftly dropped McDaniel from her newly position, prompting widespread discussion and criticism across media platforms,” Vigilant News writes.
“The decision to sever ties with McDaniel over her political affiliations has sparked speculation about the initial reasoning behind her engagement with NBC. Former GOP Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy weighed in on the matter, criticizing NBC’s actions and describing them as emblematic of the prevalent ‘cancel culture’ phenomenon,” Vigilant News continued.
“I think it was poor optics, and maybe poor substance for her to join NBC. But having made that decision, I think it is unconscionable that NBC, without even hearing what she has to say, cuts her off in that way. It’s just another embodiment of this cancel culture,” Ramaswamy said.
WATCH:
NEW- RNC is Now Considering Restricting NBC’s Access From the Republican National Convention |
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is mulling over the possibility of restricting NBC’s access to the upcoming Republican National Convention following a recent controversy… pic.twitter.com/vsm0yII4gX
— Vigilant News (@VigilantNews) March 29, 2024
CENSORSHIP: The RNC should not limit coverage of its convention. But it should stop allowing networks control the debates. It should simply livestream them and allow networks to carry them if they wish. @DonaldJTrumpJr https://t.co/9HBu8sZh95
— @amuse (@amuse) March 28, 2024
POLITICO reports:
But any attempt to restrict the network’s access at the convention would likely engender strong pushback from top brass there, as well as organizations tasked with representing the media and, potentially, rival journalists and outlets.
The RNC did not further elaborate on what “a hard look” meant. But a major showdown with the press at the biggest political event of the election cycle could prove to be an unwanted distraction for Republicans. That is especially true for a presidential nominee who takes heavy interest in the media coverage he receives.
The RNC has followed through on threats to TV networks before, including cutting out NBC from hosting a debate in the 2016 primary. But the summer convention is a far bigger stage with much larger electoral consequences.
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s also not certain how much control the committee possesses over media access to the convention. The event requires the coordination of the Republican Party, convention hall officials, and local and state authorities. And congressional press gallery officials, not the RNC, run the credentialing process for access to the convention hall.
The Republican National Committee is mulling whether to limit NBC’s access at its convention this summer over the network’s decision to dump former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday. More: https://t.co/ReogDpu6O6 pic.twitter.com/MW86copq9k
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) March 29, 2024
From Newsmax:
The RNC doesn’t control the credentialing to the convention; the House Periodical Press Gallery does. But the RNC could impact NBC’s access to the perimeter around Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, host site of the Republican convention, according to the report. The RNC could also affect NBC’s space for live shots, transportation, and hotel space, Politico reported.
McDaniel made just one appearance — on Sunday’s “Meet The Press” — after NBC announced it had hired her as an on-air political contributor. But after days of being browbeaten on air by NBC and MSNBC talent, NBCUniversal News Group Chair Cesar Conde conceded defeat Tuesday night and announced he had parted ways with McDaniel, apologizing to his staff along the way.
“These Radical Left Lunatics are Crazy, and the top people at NBC are weak. They were Broken and Embarrassed by Low Ratings, Highly Overpaid, ‘Talent.’ Bring back free and fair press — Make America Great Again 2024!” Trump posted Tuesday night after McDaniel was axed.
Whatley accused NBC of “selective outrage” in an appearance with Newsmax on Wednesday.
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