Ronna McDaniel Admits Joe Biden Won 'Fair and Square'

Former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel admitted in a pre-recorded interview on NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election "fair and square."

In an interview with CNN's Chris Wallace last July, McDaniel said at the time that she didn't think "he [Biden] won it fair."

However on Sunday, McDaniel told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker: "He won, he is the legitimate president, fair and square. He won, it's certified, it's done. But I do think it's fair to say there were problems in 2020."

Context:

NBC News announced Friday that McDaniel was joining the network as an on-air contributor, following her resignation as head of the RNC earlier this month. Her departure came after she faced growing pressure from presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump to step down.

But her decision to join NBC News has also ignited criticism from conservatives, who accused her of trying to "help Democrats," as well as from progressives, who blasted the network for hiring her.

Welker stated before Sunday's interview that "in full disclosure to our viewers, this interview was scheduled weeks before it was announced that McDaniel had become a paid NBC News contributor. This will be a news interview, and I was not involved in her hiring."

McDaniel, the niece of Republican Senator Mitt Romney, has served as the RNC chairwoman since 2017, when she was chosen by Trump to lead the party after she served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

What We Know:

Since the 2020 election, Trump, without evidence, claimed that the election had been stolen from him via widespread fraud.

In August 2023, Trump was indicted on four counts by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in relation to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot in which thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an effort to stop the 2020 election results from being certified in Biden's favor. Trump pleaded not guilty and has said that the case against him is politically motivated.

On Sunday's pre-recorded interview, Welker asked why it had taken McDaniel until now to say that Biden won.

"I am going to push back a little because I do think it's fair to say there were problems in 2020. And to say that does not mean he is not the legitimate president...This is a viewpoint of a lot of Republicans...both can be true," McDaniel responded.

Newsweek has reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email for comment.

Views:

In response to her hiring by NBC News, several observers pointed to comments that she previously made about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, suggesting that the network was giving her a platform to push inflammatory claims months before November's election.

"MSNBC just hired Ronna McDaniel — an election-denying, racist, pro-fascist, homophobic pathological liar — as their latest political contributor/commentator. In other words, they will pay her to lie for Trump during an election year. MSNBC is not a legitimate news organization," political commentator Dash Dobrofsky posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis posted to X, "Ronna McDaniel joining MSNBC is just an extension of her years-long work to help Democrats."

However, in a statement announcing McDaniel's new role, Carrie Budoff Brown, who heads NBC News' politics and elections reporting, said, "It couldn't be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna's on the team."

Brown added that McDaniel has an "insider's perspective" on national politics.

What's Next?

McDaniel is the latest Republican to join NBC's slate of commentators. Marc Short, who previously served as chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence, and Brendan Buck, a former congressional aide, also frequent the network.

Update 3/24/24, 11:22 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.

Update 3/24/24, 11:51 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.