NBC News has made the decision to drop former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor, just days after announcing her hiring, following a backlash from NBC and MSNBC journalists. The decision was announced by NBCUniversal Group chairman Cesar Conde in an email to staff on Tuesday, acknowledging the difficult few days the News Group has had. The network had announced McDaniel's hiring on Friday, two weeks after she stepped down as head of the RNC, with network hosts and personalities, including Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, Jen Psaki, and Nicolle Wallace, expressing their objections on air and urging the network to reconsider.

Maddow, the cable network's most bankable star, had demanded that NBC executives "reverse their decision" during her show, calling McDaniel's presence on the network "inexplicable." Scarborough and his wife, Mika Brzezinski, co-hosts of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," also pledged not to invite McDaniel to their program, calling her an "anti-democracy election denier." Chuck Todd, former moderator of "Meet the Press," criticized NBC News management for putting current moderator Kristen Welker in an awkward position with McDaniel's hiring.

The decision to hire McDaniel sparked anger due to her support of former President Donald Trump and her involvement in the alleged fake elector scheme. McDaniel had defended Trump's efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election, but in a recent interview with Welker, she acknowledged that President Joe Biden won the election "fair and square." However, her previous endorsement of Trump's false claims about the election made her hiring particularly sensitive in the current political climate.

While it is not uncommon for television news outlets to hire politicians as analysts and commentators, McDaniel's hiring was met with strong opposition from NBC and MSNBC hosts due to her past actions and statements. The decision to drop her as a contributor reflects the concerns raised by the network's stars and the backlash from viewers and staff. NBC News is now facing the challenge of maintaining a balance of diverse viewpoints while navigating the complexities of the current political landscape.