Donald Trump gave a preview of how his second presidency might look by demanding the firing of NBC News host Chuck Todd as retribution for the dismissal of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel.
The network's former "Meet the Press" moderator blasted network bosses on the program for foisting McDaniel on his successor Kristen Welker, saying they owed her an apology, and he said that the former RNC chair had encouraged “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the media.
However, Trump said early Wednesday that Todd should follow her out the door.
"What boss or executive would allow a man or woman, in this case Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd, who was fired for dismal performance coupled with horrendous television ratings, to publicly SCOLD them as to their weakness & stupidity in hiring Ronna McDaniel," Trump posted on Truth Social at 12:31 a.m.. "Actually, they should be scolded for hiring 'Sleepy' for Meet the Fake Press, and keeping him on so long despite his poor performing skills, bad ratings, and bias."
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Trump threatened to revoke NBC's charter – which isn't actually a thing – for reporting on a 2017 meeting where his former secretary of state Rex Tillerson called him a "moron," and last fall pledged to investigate NBC/MSNBC parent company Comcast if re-elected due to "one-side and vicious coverage" and "Country Threatening Treason."
"The sick degenerates over at MSDNC are really running NBC, and there seems nothing Chairman Brian Roberts can do about it," Trump posted, scrambling the MSNBC's letters to suggest it's aligned with the Democratic National Committee. "Watching Chuck Todd, of all people, viciously giving Roberts a piece of his small mind, and then berating him for hiring Ronna without his, or the other lunatics, approval, was just a step too far. Brian’s great father would have fired Chuck Todd, and all the rest of these losers, on the spot. Perhaps Brian still will."
Todd was joined by multiple on-air broadcasters, including Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, in criticizing McDaniel's hiring due to her involvement in Trump's post-2020 election scheme to remain in office and her continued lies about the outcome.