(Page Six) MSNBC president Rashida Jones has been on a mission to clear her name as one of the execs who courted former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel, and who lobbied the network to hire her in an ill-fated move that’s led to chaos at the network.
McDaniel was quickly dropped after MSNBC talent sparked a revolt over putting the Trump-backing politico on the air.
We’re told that on a 10a.m. call with talent on Thursday, Jones was telling staffers that reports have “overstated” her involvement in the network’s decision to hire McDaniel.
Insiders further told us it now feels like the “battle of the execs throwing each other under the bus at 30 Rock” in the wake of the McDaniel fiasco.
Sources described a frustrated Jones on the call as being “fed up.” She was “very stern,” said an insider. “It was the most firm she’s been on the situation.”
Jones’ “stern call” came after reports that she actively participated in recruiting McDaniel.Several NBC anchors — including MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow — has been vocal about the decision to hire McDaniel, who helped push former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election denial message.
Maddow, for example, said on her Monday night broadcast, “The fact that Ms. McDaniel is on the payroll at NBC News, to me that is inexplicable!”
Chuck Todd and “Morning Joe” stars Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski also joined the chorus in bashing the network’s decision, which sparked MSNBC to eventually fire McDaniel before she could even offer a soundbite on “Meet the Press.”
We’re told Jones was sending individual texts and making phone calls to her talent in an effort to distance herself from the hire after the backlash.
Sources told us that on Thursday’s call, Jones said, “It was very clear from everyone how you felt about her role here, and I appreciate the fact that you guys came to us and we can have these kinds of open discussions.”She added, sources said, “I made it very clear she was not expected to be on our air. Your anchors in particular heard that from me on Friday. Several of them said that on TV, I said it out loud on this call Monday. Those are the facts, anybody can check the facts. Every single primetime host heard from us directly that it was important that we MSNBC maintain editorial independence and how we covered this.”
She also told the staffers: “As you guys know, I wholeheartedly supported that, you can ask anyone involved we had a lot of conversations about it before and after.”
