Former President Donald Trump launched a scathing critique of former “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd on Tuesday night. Trump's comments come in the wake of the tumultuous decision by NBC News to hire former Republican National Committee head Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor, a move that created controversy and public dissent within the network's ranks.
The decision to bring McDaniel on board clearly did not sit well with many within the NBCUniversal editorial staff. McDaniel was shortly fired from NBC after tensions reached a boiling point earlier this week.
Trump, known for his unfiltered and direct communication, took to Truth Social to express his disdain for Todd, whom he referred to as “Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd.”
Trump criticized Todd's performance and television ratings, questioning the judgment behind his hiring and retention. “What boss or executive would allow a man or woman, in this case Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd, who was fired for dismal performance coupled with horrendous television ratings, to publicly SCOLD them as to their weakness & stupidity in hiring Ronna McDaniel,” Trump posted.
The former president's post did not hold back like always, saying that Todd's continued presence on the network was a result of misguided leadership. “The sick degenerates over at MSDNC are really running NBC, and there seems nothing Chairman Brian Roberts can do about it,” Trump added.
“If I knew Ronna was going to troubled MSNBC, I would have advised her to change her name back to Romney, she would have had a better chance!” he finished.
This controversy laid bare the internal strife within NBC News following the announcement of McDaniel's hiring. High-profile MSNBC personalities, including Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, and Joe Scarborough, all publicly expressed their disagreement with the network's decision.
Maddow, one of MSNBC's main figures, likened the decision to “putting a mobster to work in a district attorney’s office.”
“I find the decision to put her on the payroll inexplicable, and I hope they will reconsider that decision,” Maddow said during her weekly program.
In February, McDaniel stepped down following three dismal years of party fundraising and pressure by former President Trump, who privately lamented the party’s lack of focus on election integrity. Michael Whatley, a top Trump ally and leader of the North Carolina Republican Party, was joined by co-chair and daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who announced in March that the RNC had its best fundraising month in over a year.
“This isn't about Republican versus Democrat. This isn't about red versus blue. This is about truth versus lies. Service to the country versus service to one man committed to toppling our democratic system,” Jen Psaki said about the hiring of McDaniel. “That is the type of experience that Ronna McDaniel brings to the table.”
McDaniel’s final months were marred by ham-handed leadership of GOP presidential debates sans Trump and criticism from other candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy who used her as a foil to gain recognition in a crowded field. She officially pulled the plug after South Carolina’s Republican primary on February 24th, another resounding win by Trump over Nikki Haley, his lone rival at the time.
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