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.”
Another source, however, described her as “defensive,” and told us Jones was “talking so fast and saying it’s a bunch of lies in the media.”
Outlets from the Washington Post to Puck have reported on Jones’ involvement in McDaniel’s hiring.
“She didn’t say a lot and didn’t take questions. The only thing she said was the media’s lies are distracting from their work,” the source said.
Jones kicked off the call, we hear, by explaining, “I do want to take a second, just a second, to address all of the nonsense, false reporting floating around out there. I just want to make sure you guys hear from me on this directly once again,” she said.
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,…
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