Ronna McDaniel to join NBC News as political analyst

Ronna McDaniel, who stepped down as chair of the Republican National Committee earlier this month, will join NBC News as a political analyst starting Sunday.

McDaniel is expected to contribute to both NBC and MSNBC. Her first appearance will be on Sunday on “Meet the Press,” where she will give her first interview since stepping down from the RNC.

An NBC News spokesperson confirmed the move to POLITICO, which was first reported by The New York Times.

“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, who leads political coverage at NBC, wrote in a memo shared with The New York Times. Budoff Brown previously led POLITICO as its editor from 2016 to 2021.

McDaniel joins other Republican contributors at the network including Marc Short, former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, and Brendan Buck, former counselor to Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.

McDaniel departed the RNC after former President Donald Trump criticized the organization for its decision to hold primary debates, which he refused to participate in, and has said the committee should be more focused on voter integrity issues. Trump cemented his control of the RNC after members formally voted to install his handpicked candidates for top roles.

Trump has been a frequent critic of MSNBC, particularly on social media, claiming the network is trying to stop him from winning the 2024 election.

McDaniel was elected as chair of the RNC in 2017 and was the second woman to lead the RNC. She previously was chair of the Republican Party in Michigan.