Former Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly heavily criticized NBC’s on-air talent after several hosts took exception to the hiring of former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.
McDaniel, as is often the case amongst GOP figures upon being separated from their position, secured a contributor contract with a network they spent years criticizing as being biased.
But some NBC hosts took umbrage with the fact that their own network would hire an opposing viewpoint.
Former Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd was perhaps the most vocal saying, “There’s a reason why there’s a lot of journalists at NBC News uncomfortable with this.”
MSNBC morning host Joe Scarborough not only objected to McDaniel’s hiring but spit in the face of top executives at the network by declaring on-air that he would refuse to have her as a guest.
“We weren’t asked our opinion of the hiring but, if we were, we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons,” Scarborough said. “We hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
Joe Scarborough and Mika criticize NBC for hiring Ronna McDaniel. pic.twitter.com/t6874Bo85Y
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 25, 2024
RELATED: Chuck Todd Apologizes For Deceptive Video After Trump Calls For His Firing, Blames CBS
Bill O’Reilly: ‘NBC Is An Ideological Enterprise’
Bill O’Reilly slammed the hosts for having on-air tantrums over their network’s hiring practices, calling NBC an “ideological enterprise.”
“If this doesn’t prove my point nothing will,” he said of Todd and other talent remarks. “NBC is an ideological enterprise. It has effectively deep-sixed conservative points of view. And their workforce is completely happy with that.”
O’Reilly notes that his old network frequently offers up talent with opposing viewpoints. He points to analysts such as Juan Williams and Jessica Tarlov.
Panels on shows like The Five almost always feature a left-wing contributor. Other networks though, will often never lend voice to the right. Or, if they do, it will be a Republican in name only such as Adam Kinzinger or Liz Cheney.
McDaniel, for all her many faults, did offer vocal support for President Trump during her tenure. And therein lies the problem.
“The stifling of opposing points of view is un-American and counterproductive,” O’Reilly said. “MSNBC has a dwindling audience and could use some robust on-air debate.”
RELATED: President Trump Demands Chuck Todd Be Fired
Todd Had To Apologize For Deceptively Edited Video
Bill O’Reilly also takes aim at Chuck Todd for being replaced on Meet the Press. He claims Todd was obviously moved for “low ratings and his over-the-top sneering views contrary to his own.”
As for skewing facts, Todd has no moral high ground on that matter either. In 2020, leading up to the presidential election, he was forced to issue an on-air apology after his show admitted to deceptively editing a video of remarks made by then-Attorney General William Barr.
Today on Meet The Press, @chucktodd wildly took context out of an answer AG Bill Barr gave about his decision to drop the case into Gen. Michael Flynn.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 10, 2020
I cut Todd's segment along with Barr's full answer together. Look at how blatantly dishonest this is. pic.twitter.com/tODOEwL48V
Todd apologized only after President Trump demanded he be fired.
As for Scarborough, he too has a long history of falsehoods on his show. Just recently The Political Insider noted his faux rage at Trump having used the word “bloodbath.” This, despite having used it himself countless times.
He also stated on his show that Republicans trying to open up businesses and schools during the pandemic were attempting to “euthanize” senior citizens.
MSNBC and NBC are some of the biggest purveyors of lies and half-truths. The fact that their own on-air talent is this lacking in self-awareness is remarkable.
