Cheney, in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, accused McDaniel of aiding Trump's "corrupt fake elector plot" and his attempts to pressure Michigan officials into not certifying the legitimate election outcome. "She spread his lies & called 1/6 'legitimate political discourse,'" Cheney wrote, referencing the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. She added, "That's not 'taking one for the team.' It's enabling criminality & depravity."
Cheney's sharp rebuke was in response to McDaniel's recent appearance on NBC News' "Meet the Press." McDaniel, who was recently hired as a paid contributor by NBC News following her resignation as RNC chair amid pressure from party figures, was questioned about her previous statements regarding the January 6 incident.
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During the interview, McDaniel distanced herself somewhat from Trump, who has labeled those imprisoned for actions related to the January 6 attack as "patriots" and vowed to pardon them if he is reelected. "If you attacked our Capitol … and you’ve been convicted, then that should stay," McDaniel stated in response to a question about Trump's promise.
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When NBC's Kristen Welker pressed McDaniel, she admitted that she is only now expressing her disagreement because she didn't want to contradict the former president while leading the RNC. "When you’re the RNC chair, you kind of take one for the whole team," she explained. "Right now, I get to be a little bit more myself. This is what I believe."
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Cheney is among a growing number of critics targeting NBC News for its decision to employ McDaniel. "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced on their Monday broadcast that McDaniel would not be invited to their show and urged NBC News to rethink its decision to hire the former Trump ally.
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"To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage. But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier," Brzezinski stated. She added, "And 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."