What NBC Execs Missed in Hiring Ronna McDaniel

Trump’s Meme Stock• Politico’s 2024 Ambitions • Steve Cohen’s Mets Playbook [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( What NBC Execs Missed in Hiring Ronna McDaniel Good Saturday morning! During the 2016 Republican National Convention, I [spent]( some time trailing Jeffrey Lord, who had emerged that cycle as CNN’s go-to pro-Trump pundit. I noted that Lord, who previously wasn’t a cable news mainstay, had benefited “from a dearth of TV-ready, conservative pundits willing to defend Trump.” Prominent GOP pundits, the types you’d find in the pages of National Review or The Weekly Standard, were largely Trump-skeptical or Never Trumpers, leaving networks to seek out supportive voices. I thought of Lord when I saw NBC News’ SVP of politics, Carrie Budoff Brown, say how “it couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna [McDaniel]’s on the team,” just before NBC and MSNBC stars mounted a full-blown revolt against the hire, as Charlotte Klein [covered]( this week. Eight years later, network executives are still trying to find pundits who’ll defend Donald Trump, but the difference now is that we’re living in a post–January 6 world—and the unprecedented on-air pushback wasn’t simply over hiring a Republican; it was about employing someone who was part of Trump’s attempt to overthrow a free and fair election. The talent saw that distinction even if the executives didn’t. All in all, as Eric Lutz [wrote](, “NBC put itself in a no-win situation.” Elsewhere this week, Klein [captured]( the state of Politico in 2024, amid increased DC competition and global ambitions, while Brian Stelter [broke down]( Trump’s [“meme stock media merger”]( with Scott Nover on Inside the Hive. Plus, Tom Kludt [checked in]( with Mets owner Steve Cohen as the team regroups for the 2024 season and aims for sustained success in the future. Play ball! —Michael Calderone, editor [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Face, Happy, Head, Smile, Accessories, Jewelry, and Ring]( [NBC Drops Ronna McDaniel After Network Stars Revolt]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [The on-air opposition from Maddow, Chuck, and the Morning Joe crew was too much for executives, who cut ties with the former RNC chief turned contributor. “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” said NBCU boss Cesar Conde.]( [Read more button](   [NBC Put Itself in a No-Win Situation With Ronna McDaniel]( By [Eric Lutz]( [The MAGA right won the second she signed her contract: They’d get a Trump shill on MSNBC or get more grist for their bad faith attacks on the mainstream media.]( [Read more button](   [Donald Trump’s Truth Social Is a Meme Stock. So What Happens Next?]( By [Brian Stelter]( [Scott Nover breaks down how Trump made billions this week—on paper, at least—and when the former (and possibly future) president might be able to cash out.]( [Read more button](   [“Complacency, It Really Frightens Me”: Inside Politico’s Ambitious, Anxious Drive to Stay on Top]( By [Charlotte Klein]( [Since the last Biden-Trump face-off, the media company has a new owner and global mandate, as well as increased competition in DC from Politico alums. Managers are mobilizing accordingly, pressuring staff to up their game—and leaving some “demoralized and frustrated” in the process.]( [Read more button](   [Image may contain: Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Electrical Device, Microphone, Human, Person, Suit, Coat, and Clothing]( [“We’re Going to Surprise People”: Steve Cohen’s Mets Turn the Page on a Not-So-Amazin’ Season]( By [Tom Kludt]( [The once free-spending owner, alongside new president David Stearns, is changing course in search of sustained success that’s long eluded the team from Queens. Whether in business or baseball, says outfielder Brandon Nimmo, you either “adapt or die.”]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2024 Condé Nast